


Strength of Soul

by Neshtaswritings



Series: Strength of Soul [1]
Category: Non-Fandom - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/F, Fantasy, Fera, Fornmir, Strength of Soul, Valhaer, Vathea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2018-10-27 03:15:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10800543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neshtaswritings/pseuds/Neshtaswritings
Summary: Here is the first chapter to my long-running story Strength of Soul. It's a story about a woman of science who ends up in a journey that will test her abilities. (work in progress)





	1. Introductions

 

  
The sun shone down on the lush forests of Fera. The land was rugged and harsh, but also contained many wonders of nature. The mountains towered to the north, with the lush Sedao valley cradled in their foothills. This is a popular place for farmers, with many ranches dotting the landscape. The fields lined neatly along the rolling hills. It was through here that a rough, dirt path cut through the woods. This path was a small, old trade route, rarely travelled. The little road cut a rough path, but less wagon wheels rutted the dirt, making it a more level walk. Most travelers avoided this path, as it could be a good place to be ambushed by bandits. But it offered a more direct path to many of the small farming villages. The midday sun made things bright and almost dreamlike. It was a perfect day to walk leisurely; to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the beautiful countryside.

  
Off to the side of this path, in a small clearing, there sat a Valhaer woman. She had dark skin, complimented by black scales. Her tail was long and whip-like, and it flopped lazily against the grass; the tip of it having a bit of feathery fluff, similar to the fluff along the bottom of her long ears. Her long, crimson hair hung just past her shoulders. It looked feathery and light, not hanging down much. She wore a long white coat, with a dark red skirt and a top underneath. Her Hyrgarr* was shining bronze, with silver accents and clasps. She had a thick leather belt, which held a spell book, pouches and vials of unknown contents. She had a satchel sitting beside her, it looked like it was made with great care; intricate stitch work and designs along the front of it indicated this.  
Her golden eyes darted along the drawing she was working on, a sketch of the anatomy of a human arm. She hummed to herself as she worked, taking the occasional break to look up at the clear blue sky. Her lips parted in a smile, ‘It truly is beautiful here’, she thought to herself. Looking back down to her work, one of her long, fluffed ears perked as a foreign sound piqued her interest. She didn’t know how long it was going on, but she heard it faintly now. The distinct sound of clashing steel, a battle! She stood quickly, grabbing her satchel and tossing it over her shoulder. She turned her head to see if she could track the sound. She followed the noise, which lead her into the brush and off the path. She could make out more sounds now: grunting, yelling, clearly this was a fight of some kind. As she made her way through the brush, she came to a clearing; it was here she saw the scene unfold before her. 

  
A woman was engaged in a fight with two men, by their clothes they looked like bandits to Sinara. Looking around the small clearing, Sinara noticed that there were three other bodies strewn about, she gulped. As she took in more details, she saw they had the badges of the Black Talon clan. She sucked in a breath; they were a notorious clan, one of the more powerful ones in the lands of Fera. Unlike most of other the clans however, the Black talon were cruel and merciless: robbers, killers and extortionists. To Sinara, they were more like a gang of thugs than a proper ruling house. The woman who was fighting them was a Fornmir, the race of ageless women warriors. She looked lithe and athletic, as deadly as many of the predators which stalked the forests. She wore clothes that flowed down her toso and came to a leaf-shaped skirt. An armoured piece of bark covered her shoulders and neck. She wore armour on her right arm, and she had a bracer on her left arm which held her foreign looking weapon. Upon further inspection the woman was not wearing an arm guard; her arm was entirely made from wood! Like an artificial limb, Sinara grinned, she would have to ask about that! Like most Fornmir she’s heard of, she had barefeet. How she was able to do that Sinara did not know. All Fornmir clothing and armour were grown out from their own bodies by some sort of magic. They could alter this clothing by will alone. Sinara was always fascinated by that, she’d hoped that one day she could analyze this unique property of Fornmir. She had long white hair, as all Fornmir did, and pale skin, in fact, all Fornmir were the exact same, with only slight variations in musculature. This was another thing Sinara wished she could delve into the origins of. Like most Fornmir, she was wearing a mask, painted in a unique way. She wielded a spear with a long, crystalline blade. It looked rather fearson. As the woman fought, Sinara could see she was very well trained and experienced in combat. 

  
During the war, the Fornmir and Valhaer fought bitterly. Sinara frowned, diplomacy was not her strong suit, and if she was not careful, she might appear to a villain to this woman. She was holding her own against the two bandits, but Sinara could tell the battle was turning, as she danced and dodged between their blades, the woman struck out with her spear, hitting one of them in the arm and causing him to cry out in pain and stagger back. The rest of it went in slow motion, Sinara looked over to see the other man, taking out a knife from his belt; he threw it, striking the woman in side. She let out a yelp of pain and stumbled off balance. She could not just stand by and watch now. 

  
Sinara stepped out from the bushes, making arcane motions with her hands; as she extended her arm, a hail of shards shot out from it, it almost looked as if her own bones shot out from Sinara’s hand. The hail of bone shards struck the bandit on the torso and face, he let out a scream of pain, and staggered back, it was enough for the Fornmir to skewer the bandit with her spear. Blood spurted out from the wound and the bandit made a few gurgling sounds before collapsing to the ground. Sinara took a step back, so much blood, she stared at the body wide eyed, then her attention snapped to the Fornmir. Sinara grasped her hand and grimaced at the pain. She was a necromancer, a special kind of discord magi. Some necromancy required not just a sacrifice in energy, but also pain and blood. She looked up in time to see the other bandit charging her, the Fonrmir woman had fallen to her knees. The injury was clearly a serious one. But Sinara had more urgent things to deal with, as an angry, skilled fighter zeroed in on her. Sinara tried to backpedal, letting out a yelp as she tripped on a root, falling down in time for him to tackle her, knocking her fully to the ground. Her world went hazy as she hit her head on the hard packed dirt, brought back into sharp clarity as she felt a fist strike her across the jaw. She held up her hands to defend herself, the two of them were both unarmed, but the bandit was more skilled and stronger. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the ground, pressing his face close to hers. Sinara whimpered and tried to turn her face away from him. He struck her again, taking his hands off her wrists to grab a knife from his belt. She took her chance, reaching up to grab his face. For a few seconds he struggled, dropping the knife to try and break her grip, but he seized as her hands started to emit a deathly dark mist. The mist made its way into any opening it could. As the mist entered his body, the man began to shrivel like the very life was being drained from him. The bandit let out a feeble groan as all life was ripped from his body. The corpse fell off of her, and Sinara scrambled away, her eyes wide with terror. That was the first time she’d ever fought, let alone had to use one of her more deadly spells. After seeing the aftermath, she felt her stomach twist, and lurched over. She wretched and got sick, heaving a few times as her fingers gripped into the soil. After coughing and gagging, she wiped her mouth off with her sleeve. She looked up again, and noticed…the Fornmir was gone! She staggered over to where she saw her last, she could not have gotten far with that injury, and she had to find her before she lost too much blood. As Sinara looked around she suddenly felt something cold and sharp on her upper back, just at the base of the skull. She stiffened and froze; it was a blade or spike of some sort. “Who are you? Why are one of your kind here?” She heard a voice say behind her. “Anwer!” Sinara opened her mouth to speak, but felt her throat completely dry, she cleared it. This might have been too long a delay for the warrior, she poked Sinara lightly, causing the woman to jump a bit.  
“Ow! Yes…well, my name is Sinara, Sinara of house Thorn. I am a researcher and medic, well, not a medic technically…more of a surgeon, I’d say, as medics are more of a frontline medical presence, whereas you can see that I am not experienced with such thi-“  
“Shut up!” She woman interrupted her. “Answer.” She demanded.  
“Right, yes, of course. I am a researcher, as previously stated, and I am here to write a paper on human anatomy. I am hoping that the imperial university will grant me funds…although I am also going to submit all of my findings to this land’s council of wisdom…as was a part of our agree-“  
“Stop! By the goddess, your kind talks!” The woman barked, Sinara felt the sharp point leave her skin. She let out a deep exhale of relief, turning to face her.  


  
The Fornmir woman leaned against her weapon, holding her spear in her artificial hand. Upon closer inspection, the arm appeared to be made from a different kind of wood, similar to the shaft of her spear, there was a blue crystal embedded in the shoulder and another on the forearm. The hand ended in three digits, longer and gnarled fingers. The thing looked like a weapon all on its own. She had her other hand on her side, blood dripping between her fingers. Sinara took a step forward, causing her to snap into alertness “Get away Valhaer!” She threatened. Sinara held her hands up.  
“Look, I am fully aware of the…sins of my ancestor’s past, but that’s irrelevant now. Your injury is more serious than it looks, that wound will not close on its own. Now, either you will die of infection, or blood loss. One is less horrible than the other, but both are very undesirable. Please. Trust me.” Sinara said with an empathetic gaze, she might not have had the best bedside manner, but Sinara was good with being honest. The woman eyed her for a moment, then sighed  
“Acacia.” She said finally, nodding to the bodies “They were-“  
“Black Talon, I know…I’ve heard talk of their reputation already, and I’ve only been here a few days!” She looked around, taking a step closer. “Let me pack this wound…we’ll have to get you set to travel, I have a feeling we won’t be alone for long!” Acacia nodded in agreement, watching as Sinara reached into her satchel, taking out a few bandages. She worked quickly, cleaning and binding the wound as best she could. She let Acacia lean against her. “Are you ready?”  
“Yes.” She said tersely, even though Acacia’s face was totally covered by the mask, Sinara could tell she was in pain; the adrenaline must be wearing off. She wouldn’t have much time before Acacia became dead weight. They had to hurry.  


  
The two of them walked out of the clearing, and then headed down the road. It was late afternoon by this time. Sinara looked around, surprised that time had passed, that entire battle, the chaos that ensued…it felt as if no time passed at all. Her head buzzed with thoughts of the events, she still felt like getting sick again; the feeling of taking that man’s life…of simply draining it and snuffing it out. It make her shiver in fear, Acacia looked over to her “First time?” The comment made Sinara snap to attention, glancing over at her.  
“I’ve had people die before…on the table, ones I could not save but that…I…I feel horrible, I feel ill…I feel as if a part of me is forever tainted.” She said in a shakey voice. Acacia nodded.  
“Gets easier.” She said evenly.  
“Don’t ever get into counseling Acacia, you are not naturally gifted.”  
“I don’t talk much.”  
“Oh? You could have fooled me.” She intoned sarcastically. The two of them walked along for a bit longer, before Sinara could feel Acacia weaken, her steps were more uneven and she sagged more against her grasp. “We are going to stop here, hold on.” Sinara said as she walked her over to the side of the path, there was a small creek that ran out from the forest and parallel to the path for a bit. She slowly laid Acacia against a rock. The warrior winced at the pain, but nodded at her. “I need to start by exposing the wound, could you um…pull back your garments?” Acacia nodded, and right before Sinara’s eyes, the clothing seemed to simply...wilt back, she could not help but gasp, adjusting her glasses as she watched.  
The wound looked deep and nasty, the blood was still seeping, but not spurting, she nodded as she started to take her tools from her satchel; she pulled out a metal bowl, a roll of bandages, a flask and a leather case. Unraveling the case revealed a variety of rather scary looking surgical tools. She rushed over to the creek, filling the bowl and bringing it back. She poured the contents of the flask into the bowl, setting a few bandages into it to soak. She then made a few intricate motions with her hands, a soft mist flowed over them, disinfecting her hands, she put on a pair of surgery gloves then began to work. She carefully took one of the larger looking needles, filing it with a green, bright coloured fluid “This will dampen the pain and help the healing process down the road; it should only be a slight pinch.” Sinara said as she injected the fluid near the wound. She then prepared the needle and thread; the thread seemed to glint in the light, as if it was made of silver. Acacia winced as Sinara started to sew the wound closed, applying some of the clear liquid as she went along. Even with the pain killers, it still burned like acid. She stiffened and sucked in a breath, but kept as still as she could. Sinara washed the wound carefully after her stitching was done, then applied a foul-smelling salve to it, she finally wrapped Acacia’s abdomen in the bandages, she made sure to layer it a fair deal, so the wound was well protected.  


  
Acacia panted from the pain, seeming to calm once Sinara was done, she instinctively held her hand over the now-bandaged wound. “Wh-why?” She asked her, Sinara looked into her eyes, and even through the mask she could see the deep crimson of her irises. She took a moment to think.  
“Because I believe in life, in preserving it, and…I didn’t like how it felt to stand by while they hurt you.” She said in an even tone.  
“Hmph.” She grunted, that was probably approval?  
“I know my people are…we are…harsh, cold like steel. But that doesn’t mean there is no room for compassion.”  
“Maybe…I’ll believe it when I see it.”  
“You have.” Sinara said as she got up to wash her hands off in the bowl. She set about packing her tools away, then reached back into the satchel and removed her camping supplies: A few rolls of woolen cloth, a bedroll, a pot, and some small leather pouches. Acacia tilted her head “A magic bag, did you make it yourself?” The question caused Sinara to lay her hand on the intricate stitch work on the front of it.  
“No, my mother…, she made it for me to see me off when I left for these lands.” She said as she walked over to offer Acacia a soft roll of wool to rest her head on. She accepted it with a nod.  
“My spear is from the elders.” She said as she looked at Sinara. The Valhaer woman smiled, she almost launched into a series of questions regarding Fornmir familiar culture, but she snapped her mouth shut, getting up to fill the pot with water from the creek, she then gathered up a few sticks, piling them up. With a flick of her wrist the sticks burst into the flame, she then balanced the pot on a stack of stones. Acacian watched her with curiosity.  
“You…use magic, what kind?”  
“Oh…” Sinara frowned, she shifted in her seat. Not entirely sure what to say, necromancers were not well received.  
“A necromancer then?” Acacia asked with a cold voice. Sinara nodded.  
“I know how it sounds, I know this school is oft-misunderstood, but I assure you-“ Acacia cut her off with a wave of her hand.  
“I don’t care. You saved me.” Sinara blinked, the note of kindness in Acacia’s voice threw her off a bit. She smiled at her, feeling her cheeks flush slightly.  
“Um, right yes of course!” She mumbled, turning over to the campfire to start mixing in a few contents from the leather pouches, it looked to be dehydrated vegetables, and some spices “I can make a simple stew…it would be ideal for you to have lighter foods…but I’m a bit limited here.” She said quietly, trying to regain her composure. Acacia nodded her head  
“Well”—She said as she shifted in her seat, causing her to wince—“Not picky”, Sinara sucked in a breath.  
“I’m sorry I’m not…good at all this” she said as she waved her hand between the two of them  
“Socializing? Me neither.” Acacia shrugged, “Where are you headed?”  
Sinara shifted as she sat, stirring the stew and checking how it’s cooking. Her tail swished around lazily, showing her calming down a bit from all the excitement. She thought for a moment “Well…right now you are my patient, and by the healer’s code, I am to make sure you heal perfectly fine.” She said firmly. Acacia smirked again and leaned back a bit  
“So, no plan?” Sinara shook her head  
“Not really, as it stands I’m not exactly sure how to go about my research; I feel as if I just wander…maybe something will come to me? And I might as well make sure to help you.” Acacia shook her head, chuckling.  
“I wish my sisters could see this.” Acacia said with a shake of her head. “A kind Valhaer…” Sinara frowned.  
“I’m just doing what comes naturally to me…so what about you, what brings you to these lands?”  
“I protect these lands.” Sinara smiled at that.  
“So…you are, by all definitions, a professional hero; I must admit, that is very admirable.” Acacia shrugged at that,  
“I protect. It’s what I do.” Sinara nodded as she listened to her. Now that she was no longer in mortal danger, she could take the chance to look over Acacia: She was stunning, beautiful; her body was trim and sleek, with delicate curves and nicely toned limbs. Sinara gulped, she averted her eyes and looked over at the fire, adjusting her glasses. She felt her cheeks flush as her mind wandered; she shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. Sinara cleared her throat, then checked the stew again. Satisfied with it, she produced two bowls from the satchel, scooping the stew in one, she handed it to Acacia. She took it with a nod and slowly ate, Acacia watched Sinara intently, and she could feel her eyes on her. Sinara looked up, blushing a bit as she met eyes with her. Acacia nodded “So…how many girlfriends have you had?” Sinara jumped slightly in her seat.  
“I’m um…wait, how did you know?”  
“I’m not blind.”  
“I…I didn’t mean to offend! I just…well I guess, I’m not used to seeing a beauty like you.” She said sheepishly. Acacia chuckled and set the bowl aside.  
“Not bad.” Acacia said with an appraising nod. Sinara babbled and shut her mouth, looking down at her bowl of stew; she started to stuff her face to distract herself from the conversation. Being a woman of some mercy, Acacia silently drops the subject. After finishing dinner, Sinara set about protecting their campsite with warning runes: A magical ritual that gives the two of them an early warning system. She then made sure that Acacia was well protected with a thick warm blanket. She smiled as the exhausted warrior finally drifted into a deep sleep. She surveyed the campsite, the fire was crackling softly; she added a few pieces of wood to it before settling into her bedroll as well.  


  
The dream was always the same; a dark, inky blackness surrounded everything. She whirled and turned, trying to make her way through it. Sinara felt it was a massive structure she was trapped in; a huge fortress of obsidian. She ran through the corridors, trying her best to navigate the maze. The walls cut her hands whenever she touched them, as if they were lined with broken glass. As she tried to escape, she felt the thing chasing her, the something that she so dreaded. It was something deep within her, something that she tried her hardest to resist. It ended in the same way it always did; running down a corridor, and coming upon a massive mirror, the mirror contained her image, but not as she is…as she was. Taller, flat, hard, all wrong; she looked at the visage of her former self. Shaking her head, she slammed her fists into the mirror, crying out for it to end, to not see this anymore. The mirror shattered into a thousand pieces sending her falling through the frame. She plummeted into the giant, empty void spiraling and tumbling through the air. As she fell, she heard the whistling of the air through her ears, growing louder and louder. Until her mind was brought back to reality, she jolted awake the sound was not from her dream; it was the alarm from her runes.  


  
Sinara gasped, squirming out of her bed roll and darting her eyes about. The campfire has long extinguished, only smoke drifting up from the ashes and towards the night sky. There was enough starlight for her to be able to see in a limited sense. She crouched in the dark, straining to hear; the night was calm, quiet, only the sounds of crickets and the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. After a few moments of trying to calm her breathing, her ears picked up the sound; someone was coming towards them. She sucked in a breath, slowly preparing a spell for the inevitable battle. She could hear them speed up, it was one person, and she nodded to herself, pretty sure that she was right. She saw nothing however, only the dark forest, she looked around, trying to see through the heavy underbrush, but it was too thick and nigh impenetrable. Instinctively, Sinara began to back away, moving closer to Acacia, she glanced down at her. She was still asleep. The injury would have her out of commission for days. It was up to her to defend the two of them. Sinara frowned at that thought; she was not much of a protector. She decided to reason the current situation. Clearly this intruder knew that the two of them were there, so it would be logical to try and engage in conversation. She gulped, then called out “Who are you, what purpose do you have here?” Out from the bush stepped a woman, she was dressed in what looked like black leathers, with some parts of silver mail. Her clothes were trimmed in a light green, and on her rope belt, hung the emblem of the Steppe Riders. She was armed with a bow of black lacquer. Her face was obscured with a cloth mask over her mouth and a wide round hat. All Sinara could see was one eye, which even in the dark seemed to burn with intensity. She gulped.  
“Y-you have three bows pointed a-at you. Answer my questions or j-join those Black Talons back there” The woman said in a dark, low voice. She levelled the bow at her, her well-muscled arms pulled the string back easily. Sinara snapped up straight, holding her hands up, this was the second time she’d had a weapon aimed at her. This was really not a good omen for her trip.  
“I’m a…I’m Sinara, I’m a healer and travelling your fine lands to-“  
“I h-haven’t even asked a question!” The woman interrupted her.  
“Oh right…yes of course!” Sinara stammered nervously. “I was just being pre-emptive!” the woman before her groaned and glanced over at Acacaia lying on the ground asleep.  
“Why is Acacia in-injured? Di-did you hurt her!?”  
“No! No, no, as I was saying, I’m a healer. I came across Acacia fighting the bandits, and I assisted her….quite well might I add! I only threw up the once!” Sinara said as she grinned, she could not help but resist the Valhaer custom of bragging. “She was injured in the fight and I, thinking quickly, stabilized her wounds.”  
“Sh-she wasn’t lying a-about Valhaer being braggarts…” The woman mumbled in an irritated tone. “I-I don’t believe you, w-wake her…w-we’ll see what Acacia has to say!” Sinara nodded nervously.  
“Of course, I am slowly going to do that now alright? Please…do not shoot me.” She said in as calm a tone as possible. She knelt beside Acacia, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to rouse her. Acacia stirred, then blinked her eyes open, she winced and let out a groan  
“Sinara? What’s going on?” She said as she looked around, she spotted woman with the bow, she blinked “FeiLing? What are you doing here?” She said groggily. FeiLing looked down at her, pulling down her mask and smiling.  
“Ch-checking up on you Acacia…y-you’re bad at staying out of t-trouble.” She said as she then looked over to Sinara. “D-did this woman help you? W-was she the one who healed you?”  
“And, helped defeat the bandits!” Sinara added, earning a glare from the archer. She shrunk back “Who’s keeping track right?” She chuckled nervously. Acacia nodded her head slowly.  
“Didn’t see much, but… she’s what she says she is…big mouth included.” She turned her head to Sinara, giving her a slight nod. Sinara let out a breath of relief. FeiLing put her arrow and bow away, placing her hands on her hips.  
“O-Okay…w-we’ll, make sure the t-two of you have a safer place to r-rest than out here.” She nodded her head, looking at the brush behind Sinara. She yelped as two others stepped out from the brush, seeming to materialize from nowhere. They were dressed similar to FeiLing, dark clothes with the wide brimmed hats. They moved over to Acacia to lift her. Sinara hissed softly  
“Wait, hold on! You have to be very careful with her, she’s suffered a deep wound and it could open up again!” FeiLing just looked at her.  
“W-we know what we’re d-doing” She said as she snapped her fingers, a few second later the sound of a wagon and horse could be heard. As Sinara looked over she saw a small wagon with a single horse trotting down the path. Alongside the wagon were three horses, they looked very impressive and well bred. They were adorned with the same colours as the rangers before Sinara. The horse in the lead had more elaborate reins and saddle. Sinara figured that one was FeiLing’s. As Acacia was carefully loaded onto the cart, Sinara quickly packed up all her gear, placing it neatly into her magical satchel. After a few moments of packing and checking up on Acacia, Sinara looked over to FeiLing  
“Well, thanks for all this. I’m glad you found us!” She said as she went to climb into the wagon. She felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder.  
“O-Oh no! You w-walk….I-I still ba-barely trust your kind.” Sinara frowned, but hopped off, dusting her clothes.  
“Fair enough…I suppose I’ll do my best to keep up!” She said, trying her best to appear affable, but part of her wanted to protest. FeiLing and the other two both got onto their respective horses. Sinara opened her mouth to ask, but was cut off as the group started on their way with a slow trot. Even if they were going at a slow pace, the lone Valhaer had to struggle to catch up; she hadn’t even gotten a full night’s sleep yet.  


  
After what felt like hours of walking, Sinara finally saw that the group of steppe riders, or whatever they called themselves, had slowed. They came upon a small, quaint two-story lodge. There was a stable off to the side, where they were heading to get their horses rested. She groaned and stretched her back, her legs and feet felt like they were going to fall off. Looking over the lodge she noted that a flag bearing a golden horse in a rearing position flapped in the light breeze. There was also what appeared to be a Far Station: A recent invention in the world, it allowed for messages to be relayed from one station to the next by magical means. In her homelands there were many of them. It was almost getting to the point where most Valhaer households had one of their own. But the other races were a bit slower to adopt. And in her studies Sinara learned that the people of Fera preferred to let technology integrate more organically into their lands. They were more interested in living at peace with nature. Sinara didn’t know if she agreed with that, nature only really caused her inconvenience, it was pretty but harsh. She slowly approached the lodge, looking over to see FeiLing approaching her; Acacia was being brought along on a stretcher “W-we have a room for you upstairs…h-how long until she is healed?” She asked Sinara as she nodded to Acacia. Sinara thought for a moment  
“With my vastly superior skills and early treatment…she should be on her feet in a week!” She beamed and folded her hands behind her. FeiLing just looked at her a huffed,  
“Follow.” Was all she said. Sinara sighed and came along with her, as the stepped into the lodge.  


  
Sinara was greeted with the smell of delicious food. If there’s one thing that she loved about Fera, it was their amazing cuisine. She took in the sights of the large open room. The main hall covered both stories it looked like it took up the first half of the length of the lodge. There was a massive fireplace on the east side of the room, with chairs and comfortable looking seats arranged near it. A large counter stretched out at the north side of the room. That looked like where all the drink and food was served. She noted that there were five or six riders, wearing casual clothes, chatting and enjoying the food. A staircase led up to the second floor which must have housed all of the rooms for them. A balcony oversaw the hall and she could see a few doors and a hallway likely leading to more rooms. Acacia was carefully brought up to one of the rooms that overlooked the hall, carried up by the two riders that accompanied FeiLing. The woman was greeted by all the riders, she seemed like she was the leader. Well respected at that. Sinara stood there, not knowing what to do. FeiLing looked back at her “C-come on, I’d like to know m-more about the woman who s-saved my friend.” She said as she headed over to the counter, she sat down at one of the stools, with Sinara following behind her. FeiLing was tall, and fit, even though most Valhaer towered over humans, Sinara felt small next to her. She sighed in relief as she sat down on the stool next to FeiLing, taking off her satchel and setting it next to her. She looked over as FeiLing took off her hat and mask. She was a stunning woman, with a full, cute face, with a strong jawline. Her left eye was missing, closed permanently with a deep scar running across it. Her remaining eye was of a light green colour. Her jet-black hair was cut very short, for comfort in the wilds. She smiled at Sinara with full, well-shaped lips. “Hmm…H-how long for you?” She said as she motioned to the lodge keeper she said a few words of Feran. “Um…how long for what exactly?”  
“How l-long since c-came to my lands?” FeiLing said as she turned a bit to face her. Sinara maintained a pleasant demeanour about her, even if the question seemed a bit confrontational.  
“Ah, Oh, only a few days, I arrived in the coastal town to the south, I um, didn’t catch the name.” She said as she settled in her seat. Her feet throbbed in pain from all the walking.  
“A-and what made you choose here?” She asked as she leaned forward to examine Sinara’s response.  
“Well…” she said as she shifted slightly “I needed to visit human lands, obviously, for my research. And it was between the province of Fera and the fleets….From my preliminary research, I noticed that your culture seems more…well, safer than the Corsair fleets.” She said with a shrug.  


  
FeiLing made a face at the mention of the fleets. The Province of Fera did not have good relations with them, and many sour-feelings still lingered from long-dead views. The Corsair fleets are a group of humans that broke off from the Province of Fera some time ago. Apparently the two groups of people did not really get along, and there was bad blood between them. Now, the Corsair fleets run most of the trade guilds in the human’s lands, and their navigators and pilots are highly sought after. Some Ferans think of the Corsairs as roguish pirates, untrustworthy and dishonourable. It seemed to Sinara that FeiLing might be one of them. She knew that the fleets traded fairly with most other races, but sometimes she’d catch wind of disputes between them and Fera.  
Sinara looked over to the food that had been set down before them. A plate of noodles in a flavourful sauce, with what looked like steamed buns in a basket between the two of them. They also had some tea served to them as well. FeiLing bowed her head to the server, then to Sinara “T-to our health” she said before settling in to start with her late dinner.  


  
Hours later, very late into the small hours of the morning, Sinara came up to the room, feeling fuller than she’d ever felt in her life. Feran dinners were apparently a very lengthy affair. Acacia was already fast asleep. It was dark, but she could make out two beds in the dim light. There appeared to be a chest at the foot of each bed, a small desk and a simple green rug that lined most of the floor. Sinara quickly stripped herself down, folding and putting her clothes on the chest at the foot of her bed. Unlatching her Hrygarr, she let out a long sigh of relief at feeling the harsh metal enclosure free her torso from its grip. She dug around in her satchel and pulled out a soft night gown. With a contented smile, she slipped the smooth garment over her head. Running her hands down her sides, she smiled, it was so much better to sleep in a bed than roughing it. Alas, this was the life she chose as a travelling researcher. As she settled into the bed, she felt her mind going over all the events of the last few, harrowing hours, before she could make much of her recollections, she was fast asleep. The exhaustion and stress took their toll on her, and her mind simply demanded rest.  
Sinara woke with the sun; the rays of light came streaming through the small window in the room they stayed in. She stretched then let out a yelp, her body was filled with aches and pains. She was being reminded of all the activity from yesterday in one huge spree of discomfort. She groaned and sat up in bed, looking over to Acacia. After a few moments she managed to get up and walk over to her. She cleaned her hands, pulled down the blanket and examined the bandages; no blood soaked through it looked like the new poultice she devised has already closed the wound. She smiled and nodded to herself, satisfied with her work. As she pulled up the blankets, Acacia stirred, then woke. She groaned and reached up to rub her face, but her mask was still on. She looked over to Sinara “Turn?”  
“Oh, right yes!” she said as she turned to face away from her. “Ah the mask…would you mind if I asked about it?”  
“Sure.” She could hear her say; her voice sounded a little clearer without the obstruction. She heard Acacia make a few contented noises, then heard the rustle of slipping it back into place. “Done.” Sinara nodding turning back around, and sitting on her own bad, she crossed her legs and rested her hands on a knee. Looking over at Acacia she pursed her lips.  
“So…I know that you are to always wear it, and that no one can see your face is that right?” Acacia sat up in her bed, grunting a bit from the dull pain.  
“No, we can remove them around people trust.” Sinara smiled.  
“Hmm, that’s so interesting Acacia. I hope I can learn more about your culture as we go on.” She said tentatively, hoping that Acacia would still want her around. Acacia nodded,  
“Me too.” Sinara brightened up at that. She nodded  
“Great! Perfect! …so tell me, how do you know that FeiLing woman?”  
“She leads this lodge, met her when I started.”  
“Hmm, she sort of struck me as…kind of…regal? She had this air of authority about her.” Sinara said as she sighed, causing Acacia to chuckle.  
“A crush?” Acacia teased.  
“Oh no, it’s just…she’s interesting!” Sinara answered back defensively. Acacia giggled, she had a very light musical laugh, despite her usual rough demeanour. “She’s a noble, It’s some tradition in Fera: If you’re a part of a powerful clan, the eldest child has serve the people.” Sinara nodded at that.  
“Well, it sounds really noble…Anyway, I wanted to thank you.”  
“For what?”  
“For when you vouched for me…last night, thanks.”  
“All I did was ‘do the right thing’.” She said as she laid back a bit. Sinara smiled and stood up.  
“Well, I think my patient needs some breakfast, oh, FeiLing gave us permission to rest here until you are feeling ready to get back at things.” Sinara said as she stripped off her nightgown. Even if they’d felt a little closer, Sinara still turned away and got dressed as quickly as she could, still feeling the pain in her muscles. After that she packed all her things away in the chest. “I’ll be right back” She said, heading out the door to the hall. Acacia simply nodded and rolled back over in her bed.  


  
Sinara headed down the stairs, looking around to see what activity there was. It looked like all the riders have headed off. She approached the counter, the lodge keeper was busy cleaning a few dishes. She looked up from her work, giving Sinara a smile. She was a short, plump woman, with generous hips and breasts. She wore a simple robe, closed with a rope belt of an earthy tone. She smiled again and bowed. As Sinara bowed she realized that she probably didn’t know common, she thought for a moment, then made an eating motion. The woman grinned and went out back to make something. After a few moments of waiting, the lodge keeper brought out a platter with a few dishes on it. Sinara took it with a smile then headed back upstairs. She managed to open the door with her hip, carefully balancing the tray as she closed the door behind her. “I have some food for you, I know this is going to be hard Acacia, but a solid week of bed rest and care will make things go faster.” She said as she set the tray down at Acacia’s lap. The woman sat up a bit, pulling up her mask halfway to eat. “We’re lucky Fei found us.” Sianra chuckled  
“Yes, it’s far more ideal, I’m glad that your wound was not more severe, out there, in the wilds…I’m not sure what I would have been able to do for you.” She said as she sat on her bed again, sighing as she felt the comfort of the mattress. “Their beds are so soft!”  
“Yes. Feran know how to relax.” Acacia said as she started to eat a bit. Sinara smiled, reaching over to dig around in the chest, she pulled out her drawing pad and charcoals. She started to sketch a bit, looking over the arm she was working on before this all began, it hadn’t even been twenty four hours…but looking at the sketch it seemed like years ago. She grinned to herself, and then continued to work on it. The room was quiet, save for the sounds of Acacia eating.  


  
The next few days passed just as peacefully as the previous one. Sinara spent as much time as she could with Acacia, her reasons were that she wanted to monitor her healing. But the truth of the matter was she found her travel companion enchanting. There was just…something about Acacia that drew in Sinara. She felt so many complex things for her. She always found such feelings to be complicated and hard to decipher. All she knew was that she wanted to keep staying with this woman, to be her friend, and possibly, maybe if fate was kind, something more. Sinara did as much research as she could, and lent her skills out to the riders to mend their wounds. The ‘infirmary’ in the lodge was more of a shrine, built to facilitate the needs of mystical healing, rather than a proper sterile room. As usual, Sinara adapted and worked with what she had. In only this small time, she was able to learn so much about the humans, and create many new healing techniques. One day, as Acacia was taking a midday nap, Sinara found herself at the desk in their room. She had to have the lantern and candles on, as it was a very cloudy and stormy day. She listened to the rain pattering against the roof as she busied herself, taking down all the notes of the things she’s experienced and learned over the past day. She had many logs and journals that she kept since she left her homelands. Sinara’s plan was to gather as much data as she could, capture it in words and pictures, and then she would find a quiet secluded workspace, and compile all of the data she collected. As went about her work, she heard a commotion coming from downstairs. Getting out of her seat, she came outside to see what was happening. A part of her mind readied herself for the peace of the past few days to be broken. Sinara was starting to get the feeling that she had a talent for attracting trouble.  


  
-END-


	2. A Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinara might be feeling the thrill of a blooming love, and she starts to see how things will be unfolding with her quest.

Sinara had gotten used to life in the lodge. It was quiet, rustic, and altogether unlike her home. The imperial city was a huge place, with massive spires and chimneys spewing smoke into the sky. The palace towered over everything, and the crowds seemed never to disperse. But as she travelled the lands of Fera, she found a different kind of life. Everything seemed to move slower, the pace was a beautiful thing to behold, and she was happy to have this time to soak in another culture besides her own. Whereas everything back home felt hard, and real, everything in these lands held a kind of ethereal beauty. Things here felt almost dreamlike. She thought about this as she descended the stairs of the main hall of the lodge. Sinara was roused from her studies by the sounds of commotion, she had expected injured, or something more chaotic than the sight before her: FeiLing was sitting across from an elderly woman. The woman was clad in a dark red robe, trimmed with fur, a wolf’s pelt was draped over it. She wore a kind of…mask that seemed to be made of a large bird’s skull. She sat in the chair, hunched over and speaking with FeiLing animatedly.  


Sinara was clueless as to what was going on. The woman and FeiLing looked to be having an important conversation. Perhaps she was the elder of a village and asking for help, Sinara wondered to herself. She kept down the stairs though, making her way carefully to stand near the food counter. If she’d been pulled out of her studies by all this, she might as well get a snack. Sinara could feel the woman’s presence; she was…she felt massive. Almost as if her aura seemed to extend to infinity. Sinara tried to keep quiet and stay out of the way. This was a challenge for the only Valhaer in a room, as she towered over everyone. Her ears flicked as she listened, and her tail was swishing about nervously. As she was about to ask for some food, she felt a gaze on her. Suddenly, Sinara noticed that the talking had ended. Everyone in the lodge was silent. She turned around to see what was going on, and saw that the shaman had locked eyes with her. She yelped and tried her best to look unassuming. “Her! She is the one in my dreams of blood FeiLing. She’s the one to lead this party!” She said as she reached a hand out to point at Sinara. “The traveller from lands far off, the one who deals in death.”  
“Deals in death? No no, that’s…not something that’s…entirely true!” Sinara said as she glanced about nervously, even if her family reputation couldn’t have spread to these lands, she was very protective of people getting the wrong impression. She approached the woman, trying her best to appear respectful. She looked over at FeiLing, who wore a gravely serious face, it made Sinara gulp. “FeiLing, what’s going on exactly? Here? Now?” She stammered nervously. FeiLing looked over to the elder woman. She sighed.  
“S-Sinara, this is a long s-story and I d-don’t expect a foreigner to unders-stand.” This caused the older woman to huff.  
“She will understand, she has to understand. FeiLing! I gave you my visions, I told you what needs to be done…I’ll return in a week’s time. You must be ready to leave then.” She said, not breaking eye contact with Sinara. She got up slowly and hobbled out of the lodge. Sinara felt her absence, the aura or whatever it is she seemed to have about her faded. She let out a deep sigh of relief and looked at FeiLing.  
“What is going on? This is…who was that!? What was she talking about!?” FeiLing simply held her hand up. She stood and looked at Sinara, who was taken aback by her intense look.  
“I-I need to-time to think about wh-what she said. Sinara…that w-was Lu Hou, a shaman of the wilds, p-powerful people to us. Th-they take c-care of the spirits, and m-make sure peace is maintained.” She said as she folded her muscular arms over her chest. “Th-they usually stay on their own, it’s r-rare to ask for help…b-but when they do, we listen. Es-especially as a rider of the steppes…M-my duty is to protect these lands.”  
“Yes, I understand that, but I don’t know what she was talking about! She said something about…leading a party!? Please FeiLing, what’s going on?” Sinara implored as she locked with FeiLing’s gaze.  


The woman sighed and motioned for Sinara to sit. She nodded to the lodge keeper who went to the back room. A few moments later she came out with a platter. Set on the platter were a few porcelain cups and what looked like an opaque, black bottle. FeiLing remained quiet as she waited for the platter to be set before them. She then motioned for the rest of the riders to vacate the room. Everyone obeyed, clearing out the large hall in a few seconds. Sinara looked around in bewilderment, she was so very confused, her brow was knit and her tail flipped about anxiously. She looked back at FeiLing, who slowly let out a breath. “S-sinara, Lu Hou c-came here t-to tell me about a…problem that needs solving.” She said as she poured a drink for her and Sinara, she handed a cup to Sinara, who took it and looked down. It was a white cup with bright blue designs painted along the outside. There was no handle; she just had to hold it in her hands. She was always interested in how some Feran cups seemed more like bowls than cups. The liquid inside was dark, and from the smell she could tell it was a rather strong liquor. “She sh-showed me visions…vi-visions that…will t-take me time to understand Sinara, but I know th-that what she showed me was real…a-and it needed to be stopped.”  
“Well then, what’s going on? What is this…vision she spoke of?”  
“Shamans c-can see things we can’t…d-dreams of blood, they are visions of things happening n-now, in the p-past and even th-the future. She showed me…something like a w-warning.” She frowned as she tried to put it all into words. “Something, o-or someone is…d-draining the magic from the lands…Th-the lands will wither, and our p-people will die.” Sinara gasped as she heard that, she shook her head. “That’s horrible it….it can’t be real. Why is it happening?”  
“Y-you are the one who c-can answer that.” FeiLing said as she took a sip of her drink. “Th-these aren’t you lands, n-nor your people….Sinara, I c-can’t force you to do this, but I’m asking you…please help us with this, I p-promise I’ll be there to protect you.” FeiLing said as she set her cup down, leaning forward to look directly into Sinara’s eyes. She folded her hands together and set her chin on them. Sinara thought for a moment, she looked up at where her room was, where Acacia sat resting. Looking back at FeiLing, she nodded.  
“I must be crazy! I’m just a scholar…but I’m also a healer, how could I sit by when there is ailment all around?” She sighed. “Acacia is going to demand to come as well…and I need to make sure she has medical attention if needed.” This comment made FeiLing smirk.  
“Y-yes, she’ll come. Sh-she’s a protector, and her c-calling is to defend these lands. Also…she can’t leave you hi-high and dry.”  
“Hmm? What…what does that mean?” Sinara asked as she took a gulp of her drink. Her tail curled and her ears pinned back. She tried not to make a sour face as she burning liquid made its way down her throat.  
“I-it means…y-you’ll see Sinara…” FeiLing said as she got up. “L-like I said, I n-need to meditate on her v-visions…w-we don’t have much time to p-prepare.” Sinara nodded and rose as well, setting her now empty cup on the table. She bowed to FeiLing.  
“Thank you for the drink…whatever it was.”  
“It’s a sp-specially aged wine, used just for b-bonding ceremonies. I n-needed you to know this was serious.” She said, returning the bow.  
“Oh…Well, I’m honoured then! I think I might return to my studies…I too have much to think about.” She said as she watched FeiLing head outside, she sighed, this was…a development. Sinara turned to the staircase, climbing it as her mind whirled. She came into her room and sat down on the bed. Acacia was still asleep. Taking a deep breath to try and clear her head, Sinara stripped off her clothes and climbed into bed. She fell into a deep rest almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.  


The next morning Sinara rolled over in her bed. After sitting up, stretching and yawning, she glanced over to Acacia’s bed. It was empty. Sinara canted her head ‘that’s not right,’ she thought to herself. Before she could get up to investigate where her companion went, Acacia came in the door, carrying a tray of food with her. “Morning.” Sinara held the sheets up over her chest, watching as Acacia set the tray on her night table.  
“Oh, thank you Acacia, you were out cold most of the day yesterday weren’t you? It’s good to see you up and about!” She said as she took one of the plates, the lodge keeper made these odd egg…wraps, they were utterly delightful! Sinara loved them. She bit into one, smiling and wiggling her tail happily. Acacia took a plate of her own and sat on the bed.  
“I feel, better. Thank you.” She said, tilting her head to look at Sinara. It seemed like that was a common idiosyncrasy for her, Sinara noted. “The lodge is buzzing, why?” Sinara finished her first morsel, sitting cross-legged and turning to face Acacia, still covered by her sheet. She shook her head.  
“It’s still a bit confusing to me, but it seems like I’ve been recruited for some sort of…mission of importance. There was an old woman who came to the lodge yesterday. She said something about me needing to…lead this party? She said she’d return in a week’s time.” Sinara shrugged. “FeiLing tried to explain it to me…but I think the spiritual aspects flew over my head. However, I owe the riders here. They helped us when things looked dark. So I’m happy to pay them back with my help.” She said as she watched Acacia, who had seemed to lean forward, listening with interest.  
“We have to do it.” She said with a firm nod, Sinara looked at her with confusion. “I can’t ask you to do this Acacia.”  
“Don’t have to ask.” Acacia said as she set her plate beside her. She came over to kneel in front of the stunned Valhaer woman. “I pledge my life to you, I swear to be your protector until I can no longer do so.” Acacia said in an oddly formal voice, and rather wordy too, for her. Sinara smiled, she shook her head  
“I can’t accept that Acacia…but, I think I’d be honoured to call you friend? Why don’t we just focus on taking care of each other?” She said with a hopeful tone. Acacia nodded up at her, getting back to her feet with a slight grunt.  
“I…want that too.” She said quietly. ”But, one thing. You need to train.”  
“Train for what?” Sinara asked plaintively.  
“Train for combat.” Acacia said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Sinara frowned, this did not sound good.  


The next day, Acacia led Sinara to a clearing just behind the lodge. The two of them were dressed in training clothes. Sinara had picked out a simple outfit, a white loose tunic with black tights. She lacked the ability to find shoes that would fit her toe claws, so she opted for a pair of sandels. She had a hard time since she came to these lands finding new clothes, but a trader came by the lodge the other day. Sinara enjoyed bartering with them, trying to get specific orders without paying too much more; it reminded her of the markets back home! She awkwardly carried the quarter staff that Acacia had given her earlier. Acacia had reshaped her clothes to baggy pants and a halter top. She let out a sigh of relief, Sinara could practically see Acacia blooming in the sun and fresh air. It was…intoxicating to look at. “Training begins now.” Acacia hit the end of her staff on the soil. “Your magic is powerful. But won’t work always.” Acacia said as she slowly circled Sinara, she could only sigh and nod in agreement.  
“Well, I’m going to warn you that all this…fighting, combat…weapons…it’s far beyond me Acacia, I’m not like you!” She said as she nervously wrung her hands on the staff. Acacia came around to face her, she put her hand on Sinara’s shoulder in a rare moment of contact. For Sinara, it was almost shocking; she kept forgetting how little touch she received, it made her heart ache slightly.  
“You can do this.” She said reassuringly. Sinara nodded, gripping her staff a bit tighter.  


Acacia took a few steps back “Show me your stance.”  
“um…stance?” Sinara asked hesitantly.  
“It’s how you stand…When fighting?” Acacia said. Sinara nodded.  
“Oh yes, of course I knew that!” She said as nudged her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She took a very, very sloppy stance, holding the staff with both hands. “There, impressive right?” Acacia looked her over; she let out a laugh.  
“Needs work.” She said as she came over to her. Acacia gently guided Sinara into a proper, basic combat stance. Sinara felt her heart race. She felt Acacia’s smooth, yet strong hands guide her limbs. When was the last time she’d felt this kind of contact? Surely it was years now. Sinara tried to note the symptoms: Dry mouth, racing heart, weak knees, and queasy stomach. Listing the reactions she was having to this moment in a clinical way helped her to cope with the emotional reaction to such an innocent gesture. She swallowed and tried to pay attention to what Acacia was doing. “Squat more. More…perfect.” Acacia then stood in front of her “Do what I do.” She said as she showed Sinara how to do some basic strikes, one with each hand, an overhead strike, and a simple jab. She watched Acacia, and as the svelte warrior slowly did the motions, she imitated her carefully.  
“I…think I have it.” Sinara said as she continued to mimic her. Acacia stopped doing the exercise; she motioned for Sinara to continue. As she paced around Sinara, she nodded to herself, checking her form. Every once in a while, Sinara felt the end of Acacia’s staff poke her, pushing a foot into a better position, or adjusting the height of her strike. As she did a few more repetitions, she felt the corrections less and less.  
“Good. Good. You learn fast.” Acacia said, circling her again and stopping in front of her.  
“Well…I am an expert scholar and researcher! My intellect is rather substantial so it’d stand to reason that I learn quickly!” Sinara boasted cheerfully, Acacia sighed. “Keep going. I will say stop.” Sinara frowned; she was already feeling the ache in her muscles, especially her legs. It felt like she’d been walking for hours! Sinara obliged though, she wanted to prove to Acacia that she could do this. She couldn’t explain why; Sinara had never really felt the need to prove herself to anyone, save her brother. Her love of healing, science and physiology came simply from the urge to know, from simple curiosity. But this felt different. Acacia believed in her, and Sinara wanted desperately to prove her right. She furrowed her brow at all these thoughts. She smoothly went over the forms, gliding from one to next with more and more confidence. It felt less alien than it did at first, and Acacia’s watchful eye and constant guidance really helped.  


After watching her for an hour, Acacia stood up from the tree stump she’d been sitting on. “Take a break.” At her words, Sinara collapsed to the ground, panting and sweating; she dropped her staff with a huff  
“That was an eternity! I feel like my limbs are made of rubber!” She said as Acacia walked up to her, she offered a hand to help her to her feet. Sinara struggled and found her footing. She leaned against Acacia, her cheeks darkened as she did so. “uh…sorry, I guess I’m not really in shape.”  
“You did well.” Sinara felt herself blush under the praise; she looked down, pretending to adjust her clothes  
“Well, I’m glad I did well, what um, is next?”  
“You rest. We do this every morning. It will get easier.” Acacia said as she helped her to the lodge. Sinara was flustered, this was many new things for her, she glanced up at Acacia, something embarrassing nearly tumbled out of her mouth, but she managed to stop herself “What um, what else are you planning on doing. Uh, today?” Acacia looked down at her, she grinned.  
“What do you want me to do?” Sinara’s eyes widened.  
“What? I…erm, I don’t know, maybe…um…” she sputtered. Acacia laughed. The two of them returned to their room, and Sinara spent the rest of the day recovering from her first training session.  


The next few days passed just like the last few, with Sinara having her training sessions with Acacia every morning. She was starting to enjoy them now that it didn’t seem to drain all of her energy for the day. After her training sessions, Sinara spent her time trying to compile and condense her research as quickly as she could. So that she would be able to take fresh notes when on this mission. Sinara had a suspicion that this…quest she’d be on would be a great source of information. As Sinara busied herself at her desk, now piled high with scrolls, papers, and books, Acacia came into the room. She leaned on the doorway watching her for a few moments. Sinara’s ears perked up, and she turned to look back at Acacia, she pushed her glasses up her nose, smiling slightly “Oh, have I lost track of time again?” Acacia nodded.  
“Lunch.” Was all she said as she strode into the room. “I packed food. We can eat outside.” Sinara chuckled, closing her notebook that she had been neatly transcribing in. She leaned back in her chair and stretched.  
“You are right…I think a nice picnic would be invigorating!” She said as she got up from her chair. Nodding at Acacia, she slipped on her white coat, adjusted her clothes and motioned for the door, “Lead the way, M’lady!” She said with a wry smile.  


Acacia walked through the brush, following a narrow path out into the woods. She carried a basket with a white cloth on the top. Her clothes had been altered to look like a flowing dress. It was mesmerizing just to watch her, Sinara thought as she followed along. Acacia’s dress was a delicate green shade, with earthy tones to compliment the main colour. Sinara was just wearing her usual outfit. She felt most comfortable in dresses and skirts typically. They walked along like that for a while, simply enjoying the sounds of nature. Acacia came to a small creek, sitting down in the grass. She motioned for Sinara to sit across from her. With the two of them settled, she began to unpack their food. “Have you heard the rumours?” Acacia asked, handing a plate of warm food to Sinara. She looked down and smiled, setting the plate down between them. “No, I…guess I’ve kept to my room mostly.” Acacia grunted in agreement of that.  
“I noticed.” She said as she finished putting out all the food. She set the basket aside, sitting cross-legged across from Sinara. “Villagers are missing. Almost entire villages, empty.” Sinara frowned at that thought.  
“That’s…unusual to say the least” She said “I wonder if…this is related to the business with the shaman?”  
“Maybe.” Acacia said with a shrug, she slurped up a mouthful of noodles. Sinara rubbed her chin, her tail swished about lazily.  
“Well…you’re probably right, but then, I just don’t know about these lands…is that common? To have people just vanish?” She asked, frowning as Acacia shook her head.  
“Is it ever?” her friend said with a shrug, Sinara sighed at the obvious answer. She leaned back in the grass as she looked up at the sky.  
“I guess we’ll see once the strange woman comes back...” she said as she munched on one of the steam buns. The two of them shared their meal, simply enjoying the quiet. Sinara tried her best to not stare at Acacia, but it was so hard, she really was a beautiful woman, possessed of a great, graceful form, a kind of beauty that eluded Sinara. Acacia seemed like she caught Sinara’s gaze, and she made sure to avert her eyes. After some time Acacia broke the silence.  
“I need to ask. Why necromancy?” Sinara shifted as she sat, the fluff on her ear puffed up in response to the question.  
“Well…It’s more of a family thing, at first, I found the school a bit harsh and scary” She said as she looked at her palm, holding it in front of her a black mist began to dance from it. “But…I realized that death is a part of life, it’s part of the great cycle…in order to preserve life, I felt that I had to understand the forces of death, to understand and maintain that balance.” She said as she glanced up at Acacia, she then closed her hand, the mist dissipating. “I know…I sound like some kind of monster don’t I?”  
Acacia reached over and place a hand on Sinara’s.  
“No. The great cycle, you respect it. That’s why I like you.” She leaned back and watched Sinara’s tail curl up. “Family thing?” Sinara nodded.  
“My parents, my brother…they all study the school of necromancy, and we all come from a long line of researchers and scholars.”  
“You have a brother? What’s he like?” Acacia asked as she picked another dish to start eating. Sinara put her steam bun down, her ears pinned back and her tail curled.  
“He…he’s not with us anymore…He was smart, more clever than I could ever hope to be, his mind and intellect was far superior to anyone I’d ever met…I looked up to him, I strived to study as hard as I did for him…” She said as she looked over at Acacia “Not until you, have I ever felt…the need to make someone proud of me.” She said quietly. Acacia flushed under the mask, but to Sinara, she noticed no change.  
“…I am…honoured.” She looked down at the food she had, then back to Sinara. “What happened?” Sinara’s tail curled a bit more.  
“It was...two years ago. I was at the medical centre, I had caught a rather serious flu and was out of school for a few weeks. When I returned home I heard the news: My brother passed away in a lab accident.” She said with a shrug, “My parents didn’t want to talk about it; I think the pain was too much, that’s…all I know about it.”  
“Thank you.” She said as she looked Sinara in the eyes. Sinara smiled at her.  
“You…were a bit short with me when I met, were you…in the war?”  
“Well….” Acacia sighed “I saw…much death. We are all sisters…and I saw many of them perish…Forests burned, groves trampled.” She clenched her fist, looking down. “I…you are the first Valhaer I met since the war…I judged you falsely.” Sinara came over to sit next to her, she hugged her friend.  
“It was very strong of you to offer me your friendship Acacia…I can understand how you felt, but to me, it doesn’t look like your hate was controlling you.” She smiled at her.  
“Thank you, Sinara.”  
“Of course Acacia, what are friends for?” She thought for a moment “Um, on a lighter note, I imagined that Fornmir would speak more um…how can I put this?”  
“Fuller?”  
“Yes, that…I take it this isn’t a native speech pattern?”  
“No.” Acacia said, leaning a bit against Sinara. “After the war, I don’t feel like speaking much” Sinara beamed at her.  
“Well, it’s one of the many things about you that are unique Acacia!” She said as she leaned her head against her.  


The two of them shared that moment, spending the afternoon simply finishing their meal in silence. The warm sun beamed in through the trees, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves. It was peaceful, serine, but it also felt so alive. Even if Sinara was a city slicker, even if she didn’t really understand nature. She could almost feel the life all around her. She smiled and ran her long fingers through the grass. Eventually, Sinara got up and stretched, her tail and ears perking as she arched her back. “Uwa! It was so nice to get out here for a change of pace. I think all this fresh air has me wanting to take a nap!” She said as she started to help Acacia pack things up. Sinara followed Acacia out of the small outcropping of woods back to the lodge. She walked over the soft ground, looking out over the little training ring the two of them sparring in. She felt her heart race a bit. She looked back at Acacia, walking so gracefully…Sinara realized that she felt a bit more than friendship for her. She gulped, slightly afraid of the thought; it usually led her to heartbreak. Do the Fornmir even know about women like her? Would Acacia think of her as…abnormal!? Shaking such thoughts from her head, Sinara headed back into the lodge with Acacia. 

Sinara noticed that FeiLing was speaking with another rider. This man looked different, his uniform was more elaborate, and his posture seemed to indicate he was a commander. This must have been the person she needed to speak with the grant permission for the, quest. As they walked past the two riders, Sinara helped Acacia back to their room. Acacia sighed as she was helped back into her bed. “I hate being still. How do you do it?” She said as she settled into the bed, there was still soreness, but she was almost back to her old self.  
“Well, I am a researcher…that requires a great deal of sitting and reading. I’m sorry, did you not want rest? I just want to make sure you recover Acacia” She said with a gentle smile.  
“I understand.” Sinara spent the rest of the afternoon with her, watching while Acacia took a nap. She felt her cheeks flush again, it seemed like she was blushing whenever she so much as thought of Acacia. With a deep sigh, she looked down at her book; the words were not as compelling anymore. She’d been feeling herself slip into a bit of a funk lately. It was hard for her to pay attention to her studies recently; all she could think about was Acacia. The mere idea of a Fornmir wanting to….be with a Valhaer? It seemed like a very unlikely scenario. Let alone a woman like her, she frowned at the negative thoughts. Glancing over to Acacia while she slept, Sinara felt her heart sink. It’s better to prepare for the worst…rather than hoping for a miracle. She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, looking back down to her book, she sought to push away her irrational thoughts and distract herself.  


Early in the evening, Sinara glanced up from her book as she heard a light rapping on the door. She leaned over to check that Acacia was undisturbed, before opening her door. It was Feiling, wearing a more casual outfit than she saw her wearing when Acacia and she came back in the lodge. She must have changed from the formal outfit she had worn for her meeting. FeiLing was wearing a simple light-green, Feran style tunic with brown pants and sandals. She wore a black rope belt around her waist, with a golden disc fastening it. The disc has the image of a sun rising over mountains etched onto it. FeiLing’s short black hair was messy, like she’d ruffled it a few times. She motioned with a nod of her head for Sinara to step outside. Closing the door gently behind her, Sinara smiled at FeiLing “Any news?” She asked evenly.  
“Mmmhmm, I explained the si-situation to my co-commander, he agrees that the shaman’s visions need to b-be followed.” She said as she examined Sinara for her reaction. “I’ll be c-coming with you, t-to represent the interests of m-my people.” Sinara’s brow knit as she understood the meaning of that: FeiLing still didn’t really trust her, how could she blame the woman? She sighed.  
“I understand. This is all involving your lands, and I’m an outsider…I’m glad to have such a skilled fighter helping me out FeiLing.” She said as she stood up a bit straighter. FeiLing nodded.  
“Ho-how ready are you t-to leave? We’ll be g-going in two days’ time…at least...that’s when she said sh-she’d be back.”  
“Acacia is all but healed, her energy is a bit low, but I’m sure that she’s feeling up to the task. Aside from some soreness, her wound is completely healed, no complications.” Sinara reported matter-of-factly. “As for me, I’ve been preparing a few of my spells and Acacia has been helping me with training.” FeiLing nodded in a show of minor approval.  
“J-just make sure you are r-ready for this Sinara…I h-have no clue why…but the Shaman thinks you are important t-to this.” FeiLing said as she brushed past Sinara, heading down the stairs to no doubt attend to some other business that required her attention. Sinara sighed and headed back into her room. It seemed that she has not quite acquired any trust from FeiLing. This might complicate things. She sat on her bed, not bothering to continue with her book. Her mind was too busy sorting out exactly how she’d come up with the ability to lead a quest party. This was such an alien concept for her. She was no soldier, let alone a commander. Sinara had exactly 0 experience commanding anyone. She’d never even led a lab before! She flopped back onto her bed, letting out a huff as she stared at the ceiling. There was an upside to this: Instead of doing this mysterious quest alone, she had an experienced commander, and a war veteran travelling with her. Acacia and FeiLing would be able to provide her with valuable advice, as well as mostly likely saving her from certain death many times over. She sighed again, blinking her eyes, she felt them get heavier and heavier. Eventually, after a few moments of resisting sleep, she gave in and curled up into her bed.  


The next day, both Acacia and Sinara woke up early. Sinara got dressed quickly, she felt more and more nervous around Acacia, she wanted to spend time with her, but also felt this attraction to her, she really wanted to try and manage these feelings. This was hard when one spent most of their time around the object of their affections. Acacia hopped out of her bed, standing in front of the small window and starting to warm herself up. “We should train.” Acacia said as she was in the middle of her morning stretches. Sinara was entranced by watching Acacia moving her lithe body, slowly shifting from one posture to the next it looked like a slow, beautiful dance.  
“I’m sorry, I mean…yes, training, that is a good idea Acacia!” Sinara said with enthusiasm. “I’ve all but prepared my best…well, emergency spells. And I’m sure that a little extra training will make my skills that much sharper.” Acacia nodded and bounced on her feet a few times. She ran her hands up along her body, her clothes changing magically as she did. She turned to Sinara. She was wearing her usual training outfit now, a leafy crop top and baggy looking pants. Sinara smiled crookedly at her. “I….right, let me just get ready.” She said meekly. Acacia simply nodded and walked out of the room, giving Sinara a…curious look, she looked like she was, flirting with her. Sinara shook the thought from her head, going over to the chest at the foot of her bed to get changed. A few minutes later, Sinara came down the stairs to meet Acacia in the great hall, she was chatting with one of the riders, she nodded and broke off to approach Sinara.  
“Ready to go?” Acacia asked as she headed out the door, leaving Sinara to follow behind her.  


The morning air was cool and pleasant. It wasn’t chilly at all but for Sinara she still shivered a bit. Her homelands were warm. A fierce, dry heat was what she was used to. But the mornings in Fera could be quite bracing for her. She rubbed her arms and looked around. The pair of them headed to the training circle at the back of the lodge, it looked like it was just them. This was usual for the goings on of the lodge. Most of the riders were resting or on patrol during the day, the evening seemed to be the most popular time for training drills for them. Acacia picked up two staves from the weapon rack, tossing one to Sinara. She caught it clumsily, trying her best to look confident and like she knew what she was doing. That feeling, that desire to impress Acacia boiled up inside her again. She puffed her chest out, and spun the staff, taking her stance in the circle. Acacia nodded at her display. “Hmm, good.” She said as she executed a flourish of her own, spinning the staff in her hands, she went faster and faster. Until Sinara could only see a blur of the staff as it spun, she then assumed her stance, holding one hand out; she motioned for Sinara to attack her. Sinara took a breath, and charged forward, she let out the best approximation to a battle cry she could. She took a few steps, and then planted her feet, striking down aiming for Acacia’s mask with a vertical strike. Her attack was blocked. Acacia used the center of her staff to deflect the attack, using Sinara’s momentum against her: Shifting to the side and guiding her past Acacia. Sinara stumbled forward, and was tripped by the other end of Acacia’s staff. Sinara face-planted into the softened dirt, but she did recover quickly. Rolling to the side and bouncing to her feet. She squared off against Acacia again. She stepped closer to strike Acacia on the side, who dodged. She jabbed, and was met by open air as Acacia danced away. Gritting her teeth, Sinara tried to run at Acacia, with another wide swing, trying to sweep her legs out from under her. Acacia planted the end of her staff in the ground, causing Sinara’s staff to clack loudly as it struck the shaft of wood. She felt the sting in her hands, but before she could react, Acacia tackled her; knocking both Sinara and her to the ground. Sinara blinked her eyes open. She was face to face with Acacia…Well, face to mask to be accurate. Acacia shifted on top of Sinara, canting her head as she looked at Sinara closely. It was like she was a bird of prey, evaluating its catch. “What did you do wrong?” Sinara shook her head.  
“A….great many things? I was too slow, I wasn’t on balance. I kept over extending myself…” She sighed, “I’m sorry Acacia. I just…am not cut out to be a fighter!” She said dejectedly. Acacia said nothing; she just looked into Sinara’s eyes. Sinara tried to see if she could read anything from her, but the mask covered all expression. Sinara felt her heart race, Acacia was lying on top of her! She fought the urge to bring her hands up to grab her, embrace her, and try to steal a kiss. Sinara gulped and fought to show no arousal. She could feel a bead of sweat run down her brow.  
“You were slow. Like you said.” As quickly as she tackled her, Acacia was back up on her feet, offering a hand to help her up. Sinara took her hand and rose, patting down her training clothes. She took a moment before she stood straight up. She could feel her pulse pounding and her body burning up.  
“Um, yes…well….I umm…I think I might need to study my spells.” Sinara said in a meek voice. She’d been brought out of her sorts far too much by this. It has been years since Sinara had so much as touched anyone in any sensual way. The only people she’d even so much as hugged were her parents. Having that kind of contact, having Acacia so close to her, it was a little overwhelming. She bowed at the waist, as she’d been taught was the custom when training with a master. “Thank you so much for all the training, I hope we can do more at a later time! But I really must prepare.” She repeated quickly, before turning and rushing off. Acaci tried to protest, but Sinara had already rushed back into the lodge.  


Sinara practically ran up the stairs, holding a hand over her mouth. So many things were welling up: embarrassment, shame, fear. What if Acacia had noticed? What if she thought she was some sort of…lust-filled freak? She rushed into her room, closing the door and sitting on her bed. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to her. That kind of reaction, it was so…sudden, so uncontrollable. Sinara had thought she’d be ok with travelling in these strange lands, all on her own. Maybe this was all a mistake? Maybe she should have just stayed back home, safe in the city and alone in some imperial lab. She could have just done safe, lonely research and never had to deal with these kinds of messy feelings! Sinara fought the urge not to cry, she didn’t even know why she felt it welling up from inside. She clutched the pillow, leaning against the headboard of her bed and burying her face in one end of the pillow. She stayed like that for a long time, she didn’t really know how long. Her mind felt like it had retreated into itself, and it was a bit hard to keep track of how much time had passed. By the time she looked up at the window, she saw it was getting dark. She heard the light knock at her door. After taking a few shaky breaths, she answered. “Yes?”  
“Can, can I come in?” Acacia said quietly. Sinara nodded, then realized she had to say something.  
“Please do.” She said quietly. Acacia walked into the room. She’d changed her clothes to a more casual kind of dress. It reached just past her knees and the hem line was more jagged, like the shape of leaves. She looked over at Sinara, sighing. She closed the door and came over to her, sitting at the foot of Sinara’s bed. “I’m…I didn’t mean to hurt you Sinara…” She said quietly. Siniara shook her head fiercly.  
“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to react like that, I…I didn’t know what happened! I just…these feeling came up, and I got so terribly embarrassed by them. I didn’t mean to…I mean I’m not…I don’t…” she stammered, and only calmed once she felt Acacia come closer. She had scooted over, and sat across from Sinara. She gently took Sinara’s hands in her own, rubbing the back of Sinara’s palms with her thumbs. Acacia looked her in the eyes.  
“I came on too strong. It’s how I am.”  
“Coming on? I…don’t think I understand.” She said plaintively as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes. Acacia let go of Sinara’s hand, she reached up and removed her mask. Sinara gasped as she saw her friends face. She was pretty, very pretty, with a thin shape, fine features, a delicate nose and jawline. Her eyes were indeed red, a deep beautiful crimson. Her lips were thin, but well-shaped. A scar ran across her mouth, from the bottom of her right cheek to the tip of her chin. She smirked at Sinara, it was a mischievous, but also kind of reassuring smile.  
“I don’t want to be friends with you Sinara. I want to be your partner. For life, or however long you want.” Sinara was shocked; the breath had been knocked out of her from that statement. She stammered something, but closed her mouth, her eyes wide. She finally spoke.  
“I want that too, I’d been…thinking about that for some time, I just didn’t want you to think I was…I was a freak.” Acacia smiled, gently placing a hand on Sinara’s cheek.  
“Why would I think that? You are kind, and good.” Sinara leaned into the touch; it was so affectionate, so warm. It was like a breath of fresh air. She opened her eyes after a few moments, looking back down at Acacia.  
“I, I hope you can accept my awkwardness though. I have so little experience with all of this…romance, Acacia!” Sinara confessed, shaking her head. Acacia just nodded, still looking her in the eyes. Acacia hugged her, resting her forehead against Sinara’s.  
“I’m sorry I scared you.” She said after a few moments of silence. Sinara leaned into her hug, smiling slightly, she sniffed.  
“It’s ok Acacia. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just glad…that you feel the same way.” She said softly.  
“What so you want right now?” She said evenly. Sinara sniffed, and looked down at her pillow, she squeezed it a bit.  
“I want to change into my nightgown. I want to eat dinner here. And…I want to spend the night with you.” She said as she looked up at her. She still felt shame for reacting as she did, but it was nice to know that Acacia was not appalled by her actions. Acacia smiled, getting up from the bed.  
“You change. I’ll be back with dinner.” She said in her usual terse tone. Acacia walked out of the room, careful to not make too much noise. The two of them spent the rest of the evening together. When it came time for bed, Acacia invited Sinara to spend it in hers. She could barely sleep, hugging into Acacia and taking in her scent, it was like a dream. A dream that Sinara never really wanted to wake from.  


-END-


	3. A Journey Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinara starts her journey, and she's not exactly sure of what kind of roles she's going to play in this whole affair.

Chapter 3: A journey starts  
Sinara woke first. She thought that it was all an illusion, her mind playing some sort of trick on her. She thought she was in Acacia’s bed, but as she hugged her, she could feel it was real. She blinked her eyes open, greeted with the sight of Acacia’s long silvery hair. She buried her face in it and giggled, no longer able to hide her elation. There was always a part of her that thought being with someone would feel scary; like she’d be constantly waiting for them to judge her, or the feeling of exposure would be too much. But this felt right. It felt nice. It felt safe.  
Sinara didn’t want to admit this, but she missed home. Even if she prided herself on being mature and grown, a part of her just wanted to wake up back in her own room, have dinner with her parents, and perform the daily rituals of her old, safe life. Acacia however, made her feel less homesick somehow, or maybe it was that she saw the possibilities of a life forged on her own. She murred and snuggled into Acacia’s back. Sinara felt her shift and moan as she woke, rolling around to face Sinara. She smiled and kissed her delicately on the nose. “Mmmmm, morning.” She said softly, reaching up to run a finger along Sinara’s jawline. Sinara smiled.  
“Good morning Acacia…it’s a brand new day!”

She had hoped that sounded poetic, but alas, no, it didn’t. She simply took in the visage of Acacia’s beautiful face. “I feel…it’s hard to explain, I can’t believe you’d choose a women like me to be with you…” She whispered. Acacia ran her finger to Sinara’s chin, tilting her head up to look her in the eye.  
“I chose you Sinara.” She said evenly, leaning in the kiss her. “I don’t do it lightly.”  
“I know…and I’m so happy, I just…Well I sort of have had problems with…relationships.” She said sheepishly.  
“Like what?” Acacia said with a slight tilt of her head.  
“Well…I tend to be very, um…needy, and fickle. I will have a hard time being apart, and I enjoy just…spending a great deal of time in my significant other’s presence.” Acacia chuckled.  
“I don’t care about that. I just want you.” She said as she kissed her again.  
“Stop worrying, just do for once.”  
“Oh? I suppose I can take some advice from the warrior way of viewing things.” She nodded. “Ok, just do. Don’t worry or think about it!” She said with a jovial bravado. Acacia giggled, then rolled herself on top of Sinara, pinning her to the bed and looking down on her with a grin. Sinara looked up at her stunned, she chuckled nervously. “Oh, so…the whole ‘doing thing’ is starting now?” She joked as she laid her hands at her sides, she didn’t really know what to do with them. She smirked at Acacia nervously. Acacia just nodded and leaned down to kiss her. For a moment Sinara gave in and kissed her back, hungrily, greedily.

Sinara grasped Acacia’s firm ass, gripping it tightly. She felt her heart racing, her blood boiling, and her excitement mounting. Then the panic and shock hit her. “Ah, no, no…I um…this is too fast Acacia” She said as she broke the kiss, turning her head to the side, she was flush with excitement and shame. Acacia cooed at her softly, getting off Sinara and lying next to her.  
“It’s ok.” she said as she gently stroked her hair. Sinara nodded, she’d pulled her hands up to cover her mouth.  
“I’m sorry” She murmured so quietly it was almost inaudible. Acacia shook her head, giving Sinara a kiss on the forehead and making comforting sounds. She drew her into a hug.  
“Don’t be sorry.” She said reassuringly. “It’s ok, we go at your pace.” she said as she looked into Sinara’s eyes, who still had her mouth covered, she just nodded. “I…got excited, I’m sorry.” Sinara leaned her head to rest against Acacia’s chest. She rested her chin on Sinara’s head, in between her curved horns. She smiled as she held her new lover.

Further into the morning the two of them got up and dressed. Sinara noted that Acacia was patient with her, she was more aware of asking for permission before touching or embracing Sinara. Sinara appreciated it, she wasn’t sure why she felt so odd about contact, she wanted it, but she…feared her reaction to it. A part of her was afraid of appearing too greedy or lustful, there was a deep well of shame she felt. Was it because she didn’t want Acacia to think that’s all she cared about? Or was she afraid of perpetuating the stereotype of all Valhaer being lustful, prideful creatures?

She was not sure of the answer, but she did know that she wanted to be with Acacia and that a slower courting was more desirable to her right now. Sinara smiled to herself as she finished dressing. She watched Acacia…what could only be described as, weaving her outfit for the day. She opted for a simple dress styled to look like intertwined vines. “I must ask…your arm, can you feel it?” Sinara asked. A bit surprised at her sudden question. Acacia turned to face her, she held up her wooden limb.  
“A bit…it’s kind of. “ She screwed her face up, as if searching for the words. “Less.” She said with a nod. Sinara smiled at her.  
“Well, that is interesting…I suppose it aids you greatly in battle. I’m sorry, I didn’t’ mean to bring it up, it’s just that questions come to me from nowhere.” Acacia shook her head.  
“I like your questions.” She said as she followed Sinara out of their room. Sinara spotted FeiLing, who was wearing her uniform. She walked up to the two of them as they descended.  
“Th-there’s been a change of plans.” She said as she crossed her muscular arms over her chest. “Th-the shaman is outside…she w-wants to start now.” Sinara looked shocked; she huffed and put her hands on her hips, glancing back at Acacia who just shrugged.  
“Start as in, leave now?” She asked with a raised brow. FeiLing nodded.  
“Come on, w-we’ll meet the rest of the p-party, then get you p-packed.” She said as she nodded over to the door. She turned to walk outside, with Sinara and Acacia in tow.

Just outside of the lodge, a wagon stood near the stables, a pony was being hitched to the front of it by a large and very impressive looking Vuk. This was not the first time that Sinara had seen one of their kind. There were many of the wolf-men in the imperial city. Many, many mercenaries come to the Valhaer lands to test their mettle in the harsh desert, where war was always a constant. Still, she was always amazed to see them. He was tall, well over seven feet tall, he looked closer to eight. His fur was pale grey, nearly white and his markings that covered his arms, legs, and chest were a slightly darker tone. He had a short mane of hair that blended into his fur. He was wearing just a pair of breeches, with no shirt or any other garments. As he worked, his gaze shifted over to the woman stepping out of the wagon. She nodded at him as she walked up, looking over his work. This woman was young looking, no later than her early 20’s she looked to be Feran, and wore soft pink robes trimmed with jade green designs. She wore a thick belt and a sword belt was slung over her chest. She appeared to be wearing one of the long swords of Feran design, as well as a pistol. Her black hair had a bright red streak along the right side. It was tied up into a pony tail, which bounced as she walked. She looked cute…but also had the air of a fighter. She noticed the three of them, nodding to her partner who turned as well. FeiLing nodded back, walking up to look over the two newcomers. “S-so, you are the two she spoke of?”  
“Yes, they are.” Lu Hou said as she stepped out from behind the wagon, she walked up to the group, leaning on her crooked staff and still wearing the robes and headdress she had on when meeting everyone. “These two will be going on this quest, YueJi, and Vald…both Corsairs, sailers, and….ex-pirates.” She said the last part clearly, glancing up to see FeiLing’s reaction. The rider crossed her arms over her chest, she huffed.  
“Pirates? Wh-why aren’t they locked up? or be-better yet, dead.”  
“Hey princess! We can’t all be rollin’ in gold like you an’ yer clan!” Yueji, the woman shot back. She stepped up to FeiLing, and even if she was easily a foot shorter, she looked up at her defiantly. Lu Hou walked between them, holding her hands up as if to part them.  
“Calm down you two.” She turned to face Feiling, looking up at the impassive woman. “They were fated to rot in prison, but I came to the magistrate, asking for them to be released to me…I knew they had a fate for more than that. It is the fate of the wilds FeiLing, do you doubt this?” FeiLing sighed, she broke her gaze with the old woman’s.  
“N-no, I would n-never do that shaman…Alright, a-another change of plans…it’s us five, not th-three.” She said as she nodded her head to Sinara and Acacia.

Acacia just shrugged. She glanced over to Sinara, who approached the two of them. She nodded awkwardly.  
“Um, yes…hello there! My name is Sinara, of House Thorn. It’s pleasant to meet you.” The Vuk smiled at her.  
“Greetings, my name is Vald of house Terroc!” He said as he swept into a gracious bow. YueJi crossed her arms and nodded.  
“Oh! You’re from Valhaera!? Oh my! That’s so nice to hear!” She said as she smiled up at him, even with her height she had to crane her neck.  
“Yes, I’m from the farclaive, my parents are simple ranchers there. I however, had a deep love of the Aether sea and I just had to explore.” He smiled, then drew YueJi into a hug “It was out there I met my partner. Her and I sailed together since.” Sinara smiled at the display, he seemed a very amicable sort. And well spoken, he’d already won her over. Lu Hou looked over them.  
“You are to leave straight away.” She said coldly. Causing Sinara to look at her and shake her head.  
“You haven’t even told us where we are headed. Or…what we are doing!” She protested. The shaman pointed at Sinara.  
“There are points here…places of great defiling power, these sites are linked to your death magic Sinara…you must open your mind and feel their flow of energies. Find them, destroy them…and the rest of your path will be clear.” She said this in almost a trance-like state, her voice taking on a haunting tone. Even in the warm morning sun, Sinara felt a shiver creep up her spine. FeiLing came over to Sinara, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder, which caused her to nearly jump out of her skin.  
“Sinara…wh-why don’t we head to where w-we’ve received reports of mi-missing villagers…it might be a g-good start?” Both Lu hou and Sinara nodded. The shaman tapped her staff on the ground.  
“Good, I will leave now, good luck to all of you…you are going to need it. And Sinara.” She said as she levelled her gaze at her again. “This journey may demand sacrifice from you, think deeply of all of the connections you made…you must choose what you fight for.” And with that cryptic remark, she promptly turned and hobbled off into the thick underbrush of the forest.

Everyone watched her go. An air of tension fell onto the group. The silence was broken by YueJi.  
“Whatta woman, well, I guess yer stuck with us!” She said as she leaned against Vald. FeiLing looked over the two of them.  
“A-and what makes me t-trust you?” She said as she again stared YueJi down, forcing the shorter woman to smirk.  
“Calm down princess, I’m taken!” She said as she stared back at her. “I’m half Feran, my mother’s a monk…I got some honour. N’I wanna clear m’name, so’s Vald and I c’n have a family!” FeiLing, fumed at those comments, but she took a deep breath, nodding.  
“I-if I s-so much as catch a whiff of betrayal, I’ll sh-shoot you both.” She said as she stormed off to get her horse. Sinara looked over at Acacia, who shrugged.  
“I guess we’re walking Acacia?” The Fornmir woman shook her head, then walked over closer to the road. She held her arm to the ground, and Sinara could see glowing green lines tracing themselves out from her hand.

She gasped as she watched what looked like an intricate magical rune form around Acacia. After a few moments she heard a galloping sound. Along the road emerged a creature that was hard for Sinara to describe: It looked to be shaped like a tiger, but it had six limbs and was made of vines and plant matter. It had a mane made of leaves, and she could see magical crystals embedded in its hide. There appeared to be a few satchels and pouches made of similar material to Acacia’s clothes. She held her hand out as the beast came over to nuzzle it. Sinara walked up nervously.  
“What, um, what is that?” She asked after a few moments of gawking. Acacia looked back at Sinara.  
“Our ride.” She said as she nuzzled her companion back, it made an ethereal sound, like it was purring. “I was too weak to call her when I was injured. But I can now.”  
“Oh yes…of course, well, I appreciate not having to walk!” She said nervously, she was not good at riding any kind of mount; it did beat walking though, as she remembered how sore her feet were before.  
The group took the time to pack up, Sinara had taken the initiative to pack all of her study notes beforehand. She got her clothes and equipment also packed away and met everyone outside: YueJi and Vald were simply sitting in the wagon, chatting and flirting. She felt her stomach twist as she saw how confident YueJi was with her boyfriend. Sinara wondered if she’d ever be able to be like that with Acacia. She sighed and shook the thought from her head. Sinara spotted Acacia, who was talking with Feiling, both of them holding the reins of their mounts. Once she walked up, the group headed out, turning to head along the road.

FeiLing directed them south, towards the reports of missing villagers. They departed in the afternoon, meaning they’d have not as much time to travel before night. Sinara wrapped her arms around Acacia, letting out a soft yelp as she got used to the awkward amble the mount went at. FeiLing rode beside them, with the wagon behind. Acacia looked back at Sinara “Don’t worry, we’ll ride slow.” She said as she patted Sinara’s hands. “So many new things for you. I’m jealous.” Acacia said as she returned her gaze to the road. Sinara leaned her head against Acacia’s back, her horns resting on her shoulder blades. This made Acacia chuckle “Watch out with those!” She teased. Sinara raised her head and let out a short laugh.  
“I’m clumsy Acacia, but I know what I’m doing with my horns!” She said in a mock pout. She hugged her again. “I’m a bit nervous about all this…thanks for everything Acacia…I feel like I can do this with you.” She said softly. Acacia nodded.  
“I believe in you. You’re a good person, like I said.” She smiled at Acacia’s kind words, she nodded feeling like this was going to be not so strange. All she had to do was…think of it like an expedition, just a research expedition.

Later in the night, a few hours after sunset, FeiLing finally made the call to rest. The group found a small clearing by the road to set up camp. Sinara hopped off the plant…mount thing, and immediately regretted it, her thighs and legs cried out in pain. She did not realize how much she’d been straining her muscles. Sinara let out a yelp as she swayed on her feet. Acacia gracefully got down from her mount, she gave it a pat on the neck and it happily wandered back into the forest. She came over to steady Sinara “You need rest.” she said as she helped her partner to roll out her bedroll and sit down carefully on it. She made a few sounds of protest, then let out a sigh.  
“Ow, that was…painful, I’m sure it becomes less so right?” She looked up at Acacia who gave her a nod. Sinara took out her sketch pad again as she surveyed their first campsite. She idly worked on another anatomy drawing as she watched Acacia and FeiLing prepare the food, and set up the campsite. YueJi and Vald were helping out, but she could still feel the tension between them and FeiLing. Watching as YueJi and Vald sat together, YueJi laid against his chest, running her hand through his fur. As a silence fell on the camp, Sinara thought it might be best to take some initiative. She cleared her throat “So, YueJi, tell me a bit about yourself, you said your mother was a monk?” YueJi looked up at Sinara, she looked much calmer than before.  
“Oh yeah, m’mum’s from here. She met m’dad on a trip. He’s a corsair, was on some merchant crew when she booked passage….she lives with him in th’fleet now. I learned a bit about m’home lands, but its different bein’ here.” Sinara nodded as she listened.  
“Ah, so you are from two worlds? That must be hard sometimes.” She said with a sympathetic tone. YueJi snorted.  
“Pshaw, it’s not hard! I’m just who I am. YueJi swiftwind! One o’the’best!” She boasted as she smirked confidently. Vald chuckled and hugged her tightly.  
“Ah that confidence is one of the many factors that make you so desirable my love!” She said as she nuzzled her affectionately, she giggled and the two started to fall into a fit of cooes and nuzzling. Shinara shook her head, smiling to herself as she looked over to FeiLing. She and Acacia had finished setting up camp, and Acacia walked over to hand a water skin to Sinara. She took a long drink, then sat back, smiling as Acacia settled beside her. FeiLing had sat herself down across from the fire, she appeared to be taking up a watch position. The night was quiet and calm, not too cold as it was still mid-summer. Sinara shivered a bit as she rubbed her arms, her tail curled around her. Valhaer were used to the warm, and while Fera was a beautiful land, it also was more temperate than her home. Acacia looked over at her; she hugged her a bit closer.  
“Still cold?” She asked softly. Sinara shook her head.  
“No, no I’m fine.” She lied “It just takes some getting used to for me, but I’m ok.” She said as she put away her sketch pad, rolling over a bit to hug her back. “It’s….nice to not sleep alone though, security bonuses aside…” she said with a smile.

FeiLing chuckled and got up, she started to spoon out some stew in a bowl, walking over and handing one to each of them. Sinara sat up and crossed her legs, setting the wooden bowl in her lap. She slowly ate the food, her ears perked up. “FeiLing this is wonderful! I can never get my trail stew to have this much flavour!” Sinara said as she happily ate more. FeiLing smiled, bowing her head.  
“M-mother is a woman of m-many talents. Sh-she taught me a few of her dishes…she always says ‘th-the way to a man’s h-heart is through his stomach.’” She said with a nod.  
“Wise words. Your mother sounds fantastic, I hope one day I can meet her.” Sinara said between bites of food. Her tail even uncurled and was wriggling happily. Acacia grinned as she ate her food, idly playing with her partner’s tail.  
“I d-do too, I think when this over…why d-don’t you come to my h-home?” Sinara smiled at that. She finished her stew and set the bowl aside.  
“I’d love to do that FeiLing. I must admit, these lands are so alien to me, but so beautiful. I’d love to learn more about your clan!” FeiLing smiled and nodded at Sinara’s words. She too set her bowl aside.  
“I-I’ll take first watch, Acacia, you h-have second and Vald. You have the l-last watch.” She said in her usual commanding tone. She walked back to her spot closest to the fire, setting her bow in her lap. Acacia and Vald nodded in confirmation, and Sinara watched as everyone settled in for a little relaxation before bed. She took back up her sketch pad, and continued on her work, Acacia leaning against her and the two of them sharing quiet whispers. It was so odd for her, to be in such an intimate position. Usually it was Sinara looking out at the couples sharing time together. It was new for her to be actually involved. She smiled to herself as she worked. Acacia tilted her head, looking up to her with her crimson eyes.  
“Where did you learn that?” She asked.  
“Do what? Oh, draw? My…my brother taught me, he always said that art tempers science. You have to be inquisitive, but also creative.” She said as she looked back at her, giving her a warm smile. Acacia nodded, as if that answer satisfied her. She laid her head back on Sinara’s shoulder, and went back to watching her work.

After an hour or so, Sinara could feel she was ready to sleep. She looked over to Acacia, who was almost snoozing on her side. She gently put away her pad, and also managed to undo her Hyrregar and lay down without disturbing her. She blinked her eyes a few times as she felt herself get drowsier. She snuggled into Acacia, hugging her from behind and holding her close, her tail draping lazily over her front. This felt so right, she smiled to herself. Sinara could hear YueJi and Vald getting up to retire in the wagon.

A few moments later, Sinara still didn’t feel sleep take her, her mind was buzzing with too many possibilities. She was excited and scared to find out what was going on. She felt the tingle of excitement, what if she became a hero? Could she even imagine it? Sinara, a Valhaer, deemed a hero by the Feran people! She smiled and hugged the now-sleeping Acacia a bit tighter. Her ear perked as she heard a sound: a low moan. At first she thought it was something distressing. But slowly, she realized what she was hearing. It came from the wagon…Were YueJi and Vald…Committing the act? Sinara blushed as she heard the now mounting sounds of excitement. “Oooh baby!” She could hear, “Mmmf, yeah faster! Shit! Faster!” Sinara groaned and buried her face in Acacia’s hair. She wanted to not ever hear anymore. The wagon rocked gently as they apparently got right down to business in there. Sinara felt herself blushing even more as YueJi and Vald made love as if no one was around. After what felt like an eternity they finally settled down, of course the crescendo was as loud as could possibly be. Sinara learned swear words that she never even would think to use from YueJi’s exclamations. She sighed and peeked up from Acacia’s shoulder, she could see that FeiLing was still sitting with her bow across her lap. She looked…not happy, very much so. Even with her wide hat and mask on, Sinara could just tell that FeiLing was not very happy with that little show. She settled her head back down, closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep. She lasted only a few more minutes, now that the quiet of the forest settled in, she felt herself being lulled into sleep.

 

The next morning Sinara yawned and stretched. She sat up and looked around. Acacia and FeiLing were chatting by the campfire. They appeared to be making something for breakfast. Sinara got up and came over, smiling and stretching again, her tail lashed around to work out any kinks earned over the night. “How were the watches last night? Anything odd?” She paused “Thank you for letting me sleep the whole night, but I want to be a part of the watches from now on.” FeiLing nodded as she set some eggs on a plate, she handed one to Acacia, then to Sinara.  
“A-alright I will. I was just…g-going easy on you.”  
“And YueJi…why didn’t you assign her a watch?”  
“I d-don’t trust her.” FeiLing stated simply.  
“But you trusted Vald?”  
“I t-trust my instincts” FeiLing said quietly. Sinara nodded, sitting beside Acacia. Acaica slide her mask back down after finishing her breakfast, idly draping an arm around Sinara’s back.  
“I guess we’re all going to have to learn to work together.” Sinara said as she nibbled at her food. “Well…Just to say, I haven’t felt any odd magics, or energy…nothing feels out of the ordinary for me.” FeiLing nodded at that, leaning back to relax some. As she did, YueJi came out of the wagon, her hair was mussed and she had a huge grin on her face.  
“Ko’right what a sleep! I’feel so rested I could take on t’world!” She said as she sat down at the fire. Running a hand through her hair, she tied it back up into its usual ponytail. Acacia snickered.  
“Rest well?” She asked teasingly. YueJi stretched and nodded.  
“Yeh fer sure! Me N’Vald always sleep good when we get a tassle in before bed!”  
“We all heard.” Acacia said. YueJi just blinked.  
“W-wait ya heard!?”  
“Everything in the forest did.” Acacia said as she tilted her head at her, pointing at her then the wagon. “Not much padding there. So much noise.” YueJi looked honestly surprised. She shook her head, causing her ponytail to bounce from side to side.  
“I thought we was bein’ quiet…” She mumbled dejectedly. Sinara could not help but laugh.  
“Um, well you’ve now learned a valuable lesson YueJi!”  
“Shur’right!” She said as she crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. After a moment though she looked over to FeiLing. “Any grub fer me princess?”  
FeiLing sighed and handed her a plate with some eggs, which YueJi gobbled down graciously. She glanced around after swallowing a mouthful of food. “Hey, where’s Vald? He did th’last watch…” FeiLing shrugged.  
“H-he said he wanted to take a w-walk…c-commune with nature, w-was what he t-told me.” FeiLing said as she indicated behind her. YueJi nodded, setting the empty plate aside.  
“Oh yeah, he’s like…all nature magicy…he needs t’do that from time t’time!” Sinara leaned forward, her ears perking up.  
“Oh, really!? He’s a Harmony Magi! Oh, my, how exciting! I should assail him with questions…for the sake of science of course!” Yueji chuckled and shook her head.  
“Yeah I’m sure he’d like that, he’s a talker my Vald.” She got up and stretched. “I’m gonna go find ‘em. See if he didn’t get lost.” FeiLing stopped her though.  
“N-no, you aren’t. Y-you are going to break camp…a-and do the d-dishes. We need to b-be off soon.” She said in a commanding tone, getting up to walk over to her. YueJi scoffed and held her hands up.  
“Calm down Princess, don’t get yer panties in a knot, I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” She said with a huff. YueJi got up and started to gather the dishes, she set off for the nearby river to wash them. Sinara looked from FeiLing to Acacia, she smiled at her and got up.  
“Well, another day of riding and travel…When exactly will I get used to it Acacia?” She shrugged.  
“Soon. It takes time.” She said as she got up and walked out to the border of their camp. Conducting the same magical ritual as before, Acacia greeted her mount as it bounded out from the forest. It looked more chipper and happy. Perhaps a night on its own raised its spirits. Sinara shook her head. It was still miraculous to see. She knew that Fornmir could command plant constructs. Many of the veterans of the war talked about their cavalry and massive plant monsters. But seeing is different from stories. Sinara walked over to Acacia, giving her a hug from behind. She chuckled and reached up to touch Sinara’s cheek. “Feeling more ok with all this?” She asked as she turned around to look up into Sinara’s eyes.  
“Yes. It’s feeling less like a dream…and more like a reality, I’m sorry I’m taking so long Acacia.” She said as she held her, her tail slowly wrapping around the two of them. Acacia stood on her toes, to touch her masked forehead to Sinara’s.  
“Don’t worry.” She simply said, hugging her tightly. Sinara let out a small coo of joy. All this contact, all this touching…it was as if she was in an oasis after years of wandering the desert. Eventually she heard FeiLing clear her throat.  
“D-do I need t-to worry about you two?” She joked as she came over to untie her own horse. She motioned to the campsite, which was now almost entirely packed into the wagon. Vald was there with Yueji, helping her make sure everything was secure. Sinara blinked, she opened her mouth then closed it. Where they really standing there that long? She looked at Acacia, who just shrugged and hopped up onto her mount, she offered a hand to help Sinara up. Once everyone was ready to go, they headed off down the road.

The midday sun shone down on the group of travellers. FeiLing barely noticed with her hat and hood. Vald was sitting in the driver’s seat of the wagon. YueJi sat next to him, and it appeared as if the two of them shared a little conversation of their own. Sinara took her chances to observe their behaviour. She wondered if that was how she should be acting with Acacia. YueJi seemed to always be near Vald, and was hanging off his arm most times she saw them. She was also often seen whispering in his ear. Perhaps this was how mating couples should act? Sinara tapped her chin as she filed away those thoughts. They would require experimentation and further observation. She turned her attention back to the road, smiling as she hugged Acacia a bit tighter. She looked over her shoulder,  
“Lonely?” She said with what Sinara could tell was a smirk.  
“Just…wandering thoughts and remembering what I have. I’ve been meaning to ask…what do you think could be causing these problems Acacia?” Acacia simply shrugged.  
“The shaman said it was about you…maybe a necromancer?” She said, turning her gaze back to the road. Sinara gasped.  
“Oh…you’re right, maybe it’s….a rogue necromancer running around and…well, I’ve no clue what they could be doing. How can magic drain the very land? If her visions were true…” She mumbled the last part, not wanting those words to be picked up by FeiLing.  
“Don’t know.” Acacia said as she shrugged again. Sinara smiled, she nodded and looked over at the forest, suddenly something felt…wrong, she could not place her finger on it. She just felt a tingle, like the feeling one gets when they think they are being watched. Sinara did not want to cause an alarm, nor did she want to slow their progress down. She decided that it was just her being over excited, and shook the feeling off. She sighed and leaned against Acacia. “What’s wrong?” She asked after a moment.  
“It’s nothing Acacia, just nervous I suppose.”  
“No, it’s not.” She said with a slight edge to her voice. Sinara sighed.  
“It’s just…the air here feels…wrong…” She said hesitantly. Acacia nodded, then signalled for everyone to stop. FeiLing trotted over to the two of them as the wagon slowed to a rest.  
“Wh-what is it?” She asked as she looked the two of them over. Acacia simply nodded her head to Sinara. She frowned and shook her head.  
“I am starting to feel something Miss FeiLing…something…” She sighed “It’s hard to put into words.” FeiLing nodded, she looked at Acacia for a moment, like she was looking for confirmation.  
“D-dismount, see what you can…m-magik Sinara.” She ordered. As Sinara got off the mount, she was starting to feel not really like the leader in this expedition. She felt more like…a carefully watched prisoner. Sinara sighed and shook the thoughts from her head. She sorted over what would be the best course of action, a tracking spell might work. But then, what would she be tracking? She paced a bit as her tail whipped to and fro. Perhaps a locater spell? She shook her head, mumbling softly to herself. She didn’t really have a grasp of that spell…best not to cause trouble. She took a moment, taking out the spell book that hung at her waist. She flipped through it looking for something that would be the most effective for the predicament they were in.  
“Aha! Perfect!” she said to herself as she came across the exact invocation she needed. She ran her claw along the page, memorizing the words to chant. She started to make arcane symbols with her hand, the runes and sigils appearing in the air before slowing fading. Soon enough a dark magic circle floated in the air, black mist rolled from it, starting to make its way through the forest. She looked back at FeiLing. “I think I can…at least track down the source of this feeling. Maybe it’d be best if just Acacia and I went. I’m scared to make too much noise.” FeiLing pulled her mask down, she looked down at Sinara, then sighed and nodded.  
“F-fine…Acacia, be careful, i-if you two aren’t back in an hour, we’ll come in after you.” She said as she directed YueJi and Vald to the edge of the road. They leashed their horses and took the opportunity to rest. Sinara looked back at Acacia.  
“Well. Are you ready?” Her companion answered by taking her glaive sheathed on the saddle of her mount and walking into the brush. Sinara followed close behind, feeling a sense of growing tension.

The two of them made their way through the forest. It was dark, unnaturally so, even with the canopy of the trees. She looked over at Acacia as they walked. She looked nervous, flighty…very unlike Acacia. Sinara could feel the magic in the air, it was easily noticeable now, and she kept following the mist from her spell. As they kept going, the trees and plants around seemed to look withered and sickly. Sinara frowned as things kept looking worse and worse. They eventually came across a clearing, as they came closer Sinara caught it: The smell of decay. She glanced over to Acacia, who was tensed. Crouching at the edge of the clearing she carefully peeked through the bushes. She motioned for Sinara to come look. She knelt beside Acacia, looking out at the clearing she fought the yelp that wanted to burst forth. She could see forms shuffling around clearly, they were undead. She surmised that they were bound servants; creatures composed of many different….bodies. She tried her hardest not to take in too many details. But her analytical mind could not resist. She shuddered and turned her attention to the object located in the centre of the clearing. It was a…what best could be described as a pillar, or obelisk composed of dead bodies, merged and combined in ways that made Sinara’s stomach turn. At the top was a crystal, a large construct with magical runes floating around it. She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what they meant. Before anything else, she placed a hand on Acacia’s shoulder, motioning for her to hold for a moment. Sinara then quickly took out her journal and sketches the runes as fast as she could. Making notes to remind her later. The two of them carefully moved away from the clearing. Acacia looked at Sinara. “What…IS that!?” She asked with a slight raise in her voice. It cut Sinara slightly, she almost felt the accusation in her tone. Ears flattening, Sinara glanced in the direction of the…horror they saw.  
“I’m not sure, but I think that…horrible construct, is what’s causing the decay here.” She said as she motioned to the ever-wilting plants around them. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it is, but…It can’t be good…is this what the shaman was talking about?” She wondered aloud. Acacia huffed.  
“Doesn’t matter. We kill it.”  
“Right yes of course.” She said quickly, feeling her stomach knot, both in anticipation of the upcoming chaos, and at seeing how Acacia looked at her. She could clearly see it. Disgust. Who could blame her? Deep down, Sinara knew this would happen. How could she be so stupid as to think that an enchanting wonderful woman like Acacia could love her? Sure, maybe the surface, but not the real her. Not once she peeled back the layers to see the decay that devoured her heart. Sinara cursed to herself. Now was not the time for self-hate. She snapped her attention back to the present. And watched as Acacia started to slowly go back, she turned back to Sinara.  
“I fight the creatures. You destroy the…thing.” She said tersely. Sinara nodded, feeling a lump in her throat. She’d deal with the fall out of this later.

Her movements were swift and startlingly sudden. Acacia burst out from the bushes, impaling the first of the creatures with her glaive. She yanked the weapon from the fetid corpse, turning her attention to the rest of them. There might have been a half dozen or so, but she leapt into the fray cutting, hacking, parrying. She was like a whirling dervish of death. Sinara, using the distraction, started to make her way to the obelisk. She decided to call it that, as ‘corpse pillar’ was rather unsavoury. She approached the base of it, and fought the urge to simply scream in terror. Sinara was used to seeing dead bodies. She’d participated in a few autopsies in her time at the academy. But this was different….horrific and unnatural. She could see the villagers, the missing Ferans…fused and merged together, like a terrible sculpture of flesh. It stretched up for at least 15 or so feet. The smell was horrible now; she didn’t think she could take it much longer. As her eyes traced over the horrible sight, she could see it pulsing. She tried her best to slide into her scholarly mode: She had to approach this in as clinical a way as possible. She looked down at the soil, then up to the top of the pillar. Closing her eyes, she quickly cast a spell, allowing her to see the flow of energy. Sinara opened her eyes, she now saw much more than normal, she could see all the various kind of energy with flowed through the world unseen. The life energy was, as she hypothesized, being drawn from the land, then up into the crystal. She could see a stream of energy, arcing roughly to the south, but her spell only lasted for so long, and she couldn’t really make out its exact direction. She returned her mind to the task at hand. This construct was made of organic matter. And all she had to do was destroy it. And, she surmised, the energy drain would be disabled then. With a groan of disgust she placed her hand on the pillar. It was still warm…and pulsing. She fought the urge to vomit, and reached into her mind for the proper spell: Decay. 

Chanting the words, and making the sigils with her other hand there was a flash of dark energy. A series of runes appeared where her hand was, then faded. She took a few hurried steps back, watching in disgust as the flesh of the pillar began to decay and fall apart, making a melting mass of dead flesh, the crystal teetered, then fell from its perch, shattering and fading away. Sinara tried to whirl around to see what was happening. But she was grabbed from behind. She felt herself be spun around and yanked to and fro. She let out a cry of distress; one of the creatures had snuck up while she was working. Before she could do anything she felt teeth sinking into her collar. She screamed in pain and terror. She staggered forward, wresting herself from the grip of the undead creature. Its fangs dripped with blood. Her own blood. She landed in the slurry of decaying flesh, scrambling back away from the creature. Sinara tried to get back to her feet, but panic and adrenaline made her shaky and imprecise. Before the monster was upon her again, she saw a streak of blue as Acacia brought her glaive down on it, slicing it cleanly in half. She looked down at Sinara, and she felt dread grip her heart as she saw…anger in Acacia’s eyes. The look only lasted a second, as she saw her lover was bleeding. Acacia sheathed her glaive behind her back, then helped Sinara to her feet. “You’re bleeding!” She said in a slight panic.  
Sinara blinked, she felt numb, scared, and panicked. “I…what? Oh. Right…I was bit.” She mumbled, still looking at Acacia with fear in her eyes. Acacia lifted her mask up, looking at Sinara with sorrow in her eyes.  
“It’s ok. I was…shocked. Reminded me of the war. I’m ok.” She said reassuringly. The Valhaer scholar smiled, seeming calmed from Acacia’s words. “You need to heal.” She reminded Sinara. With a motion of her hands, Sinara cast a spell to evaporate all of the disgusting ichor on her. She sagged, and Acacia got her to lean on her shoulder.

Both of them headed back in silence, Acacia kept glancing at Sinara’s wound. She caught Acacia’s eye, giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I can mend this easily…We, just need to get back to the others.” Acacia seemed to accept this answer. She nodded and continued on with determination. After a few haggared steps, Sinara’s mind wandered to what she’d just seen. She felt her insides churn and had to stop to get sick. Hacking and gagging, she emptied the contents of her stomach. Acacia was right there, giving her a reassuring rub on her back. “Take it slow.” She said evenly. Sinara nodded after a moment, getting to her feet shakily.

When they returned to the waiting party, FeiLing approached them, looking distressed. “Is sh-she ok Acacia!?” She asked as she saw the blood flowing from Sinara’s wound. Acacia looked from Sinara then to FeiLing.  
“She got bit. Needs healing.” Sinara nodded at her words.  
“Don’t worry FeiLIng, we can take care of it.” She said as Acacia led her over to where they were resting. She set Sinara carefully down to lean against a tree. Sinara dug around in her bag, she handed Acacia a mirror. “Help me, it’s at an odd angle.” She said numbly. Acacia positioned the mirror so that Sinara could see her wound. It was a nasty bite wound, with to her horror, a chunk of flesh missing. Sinara whimpered, the last thing in the world she needed were imperfections. She started to pack the wound with a special alchemical mixture: it was designed to regenerate the flesh, and transmute into the rest, hopefully filling the hole. She expertly cleaned and sealed the wound. She’d need to check how the transmutation was fairing. She also injected a potent antiseptic to the area. After she was finished, FeiLing came over, looking at both of them.  
“No-now…tell me what happened?” Sinara took a moment to steady herself. Then met Fei’s gaze.  
“Acacia and I….went into the woods, following my spell. We came upon a clearing. There was a group of undead constructs guarding…something, I can’t really put it into words, but…FeiLing, whatever it was…It was draining the lands of life! It’s just as the shaman said….I have a feeling that it’s not the only one.” She sucked in a breath, then looked down. “It was made of…the missing villagers. It was made of them.” She said numbly, wincing as her wound started to throb in pain. Acacia made a sound as she gripped Sinara’s hand. FeiLing stood up, she glanced back towards the clearing, then to Sinara.  
“I-I-I…a-are you serious? O-of course you are. Wh-what am I thinking? W-we need to g-go back, to give them a p-proper rest.” She said firmly. Sinara nodded. “C-can you walk? Show me where it was…b-both of you.” FeiLing said, looking down at Acaci She shook her head.  
“She rests. I’ll show you.”

Sinara watched as FeiLing and Acacia went back to the clearing. She took out the journal and opened it to the page where she sketched the runes. She ran a claw over the lines. Something dug at her mind, but she could not think of what it was. Her attention snapped up as Acacia came back a few minutes later. She walked up to everyone, planting her hands on her hips. “FeiLing said we camp here. She stayed. Making sure that…the site is taken care of.” She said as she sat next to Sinara “You rest. Got it?” She said with concern in her voice. Sinara could only nod.  
YueJi stretched, then got up to walk over to Sinara. She looked her over.  
“Pshaw right ya look rough…you two musta saw somthin’ terrible bad! Look, Sin, I don’t know ya that well, but I can see when y’been through it, sit back, n’let Vald and I take o’things ok?” Sinara nodded, and YueJi smiled as she walked back to help Vald set up camp. Sinara took her spell book from off of her belt, she opened it to the inside cover. In it her brother had written “Yours is one of the sharpest minds in the empire, claim all you can dear sister.” She sighed and closed it. She hugged it to her chest. She felt Acacia’s hand on her arm.  
“You ok?” She asked with a hint of distress in her voice.  
“I’m hurt…I feel vulnerable, I…” She sighed. “I’m so scared all the time that people don’t like me, or I’m not good enough. That fear is what drives me to be so kind. A part of me wants to do what’s right. But the other reason is that I want people to not reject me, or hate me.” Sinara was shocked that this was suddenly tumbling out. Maybe it was seeing what she saw? Or maybe she just felt it was right to share with Acacia. Having never given voice to them, hearing her deep fears said aloud made it feel…less horrible. Acacia leaned her head against Sinara’s good shoulder.  
“I promise. I won’t leave.” Sinara sighed, hugging Acacia back carefully.

When Feiling came back to camp, she looked grim, and determined. She didn’t talk to anyone that night, and demanded to take watch. Sinara wanted to protest but the day’s events, and the spells she cast had her exhausted. She settled into her bedroll, and Acacia lay next to her. The two women fell quickly asleep, the day’s events were taxing in more ways than one. Sinara wondered about the sights she saw, the crystal…Those sigils! She knew that she’d seen them before, but she couldn’t quite place it. The thought nagged at her, like it was something important and that she wasn’t quite piecing together. She hugged Acacia tightly to her, taking in her scent, the distraction was just enough that she fell into a deep sleep.

 

-END-


	4. Sorting the lot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey continues and their purpose starts to take shape.

Chapter 4: Sorting the Lot

 

The morning sun woke Sinara first. It came streaming down on the camp, bathing the area in light. It almost felt like a grace after yesterday. They had camped out at the side of the road. This was a larger trade route, with a more even road and lanterns along the side of it. They had found a small resting area beside the road. It was grassy, with soft soil and a fire pit. Everything they had needed to set up camp. 

Sinara sat up, then yelped in pain as her collar burned in agony. She held her hand over her mouth. Looking around, she saw that everyone was still asleep, save for FeiLing. Sinara got dressed and walked over to her, she sat next to the imposing human woman. “Um…how are you Miss FeiLing?” She carefully watched her tone. She could tell this had disturbed her, and she didn’t want to press. FeiLing sighed, her wide shoulders sagged.  
“N-not good.” She said softly, “Wh-what I saw…h-how could?…” She let the question hang in the air, as if unable to find the words. Sinara gently placed a hand on her arm.  
“I don’t know how someone could perform such deep perversions of magic FeiLing…I could barely comprehend what I was seeing. But I feel in my heart, that this is what the shaman needed us to do. And I think…we need to prepare ourselves for much worse.” She said with as much confidence as she could muster. FeiLing looked over at her, she sat straight, taking in a deep breath.  
“Y-you are the one who n-needs to lead this. I was…I th-thought it was my duty to do this. B-but I don’t th-hink I can.” She smiled at Sinara. “I-I formally relinquish c-command t-to you Sinara.” Sinara didn’t really know what to do, she bowed her head. That seemed right.  
“I…could really use an experienced second though…will you help me Miss FeiLing?”  
“On-only if you just call me FeiLing.” She said warmly. Sinara smiled.  
“I can do that FeiLing. Now, my first order is: Go to bed, we can’t have you at half strength, you’ve been up practically all night.” She said as she held a hand up to stop Fei’s protest. “I need to recover from this wound. It might get worse and I’d rather be here by a major road if that happens. As a healer, it’s my right to be cautious….also I need to figure out our next step.” She said in as commanding a tone as she could muster.

FeiLing nodded and got up from her seat. She looked exhausted, as if all her spare energy was drained. She headed over to set up her bedroll in the shade of a large tree. Sinara sat there, trying to sort over all the new information she’d been bombarded with. Again, she took out her journal and looked over the sketches she had made. Taking out her pencil, she started to make a few marks on a blank page. She had to decipher what these sigils were. As she worked, she felt her mind become absorbed with the task. She knew they were familiar, but different. Back when she was first learning necromancy, she knew she had recalled similar runes for the most basic incantations. There was something about these ones. They seemed elemental, ancient, basic…She mused over her scrawlings for some time, before she felt a tap on her right horn. Sinara started and looked up, sighing in relief as she saw Acacia. “Oh, sorry…I became absorbed in my work.” She said as she watched Acacia sit beside her. She chuckled at Sinara.  
“The sketch?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Sinara nodded.  
“I keep thinking I’ve seen these before…but I can’t put my claw on it. It’s a bit frustrating.” Acaica patted her shoulder.  
“You will get it.” She said as she looked around. “FeiLing made you leader?” Sinara looked at her, grinning.  
“Doing a bit of eavesdropping, Acacia?” Acacia simply shrugged at the question. Sinara set her book aside, pulling Acacia into her lap. She smiled at her, blushing “Yes. She said that…I guess she was more just acting on what she was used to, being a commander for so long.” Acacia nodded as she listened to Sianara. She draped her arms around Sinara’s shoulders, being careful to avoid her bite wound.  
“Feeling daring?” She said with a head tilt. Sinara looked down at Acacia, her hands had rested on her sides and she was gently holding her.  
“Oh, I guess it just…came to me. I’m sorry, is it not right?” She asked tentatively.  
“It’s ok. I like it.” Acaica said as she touched foreheads with her. “So…planning?” Sinara took a moment to relish the feeling of Acacia in her arms. She let her mind wander for a moment.  
“I think that…we rest here, then we head south. When I was examining the…thing…I saw that the energy was…being transmitted in that direction. It’s the best plan I can come up with.” Sinara said with a sigh, Acacia nodded at her.  
“Sounds like a good plan.” She said evenly, hugging her a bit tighter.

Hours later, Sinara had been doing some studying. She was busy working on her journal, trying to organize her thoughts and figure out exactly what she might be dealing with. Acacia had taken to sitting beside Sinara, simply spending time near her and playing with the nearby plants. Sinara had noted that she’s calmed down some, it might have been nice to be near so much nature it was a good distraction for her. She looked up at YueJi as she came over to where the two of them were sitting.  
“Heya Sin, I heard you was made the proper leader, good t’hear. Princess over there’s got it out for me.” She said as she jabbed a thumb in the direction of where FeiLing was sleeping. Sinara shook her head.  
“I can’t speak for FeiLing, but maybe you two need some compassion between you?” YueJi snorted at that.  
“Pshaw, compassion! Not gonna happen, but uh, speakin’ of. I got a problem I need t’talk t’yabout.” She said as she looked from Sinara back to Vald, who was leaning against a tree taking in the midday sun. “Vald’s not makin’ a fuss…but he hasn’t a square in four days…it’s hard on ‘em, he needs meat, fresh meat soon’r n’later he’s not gonna be doin’ too well.” YueJi said as she frowned at Sinara. Sinara nodded her head, trying to decipher the slang. Her ears perked as she got it.  
“Oh, a hunting trip? For fresh food, that’s…a really good idea YueJi! When FeiLing gets up, I’ll ask her what she can do!” YueJi smiled and nodded.  
“Thanks Sin, I owe ya one!” She said before walking over to Vald, she settled back into his lap. Causing the Vuk to smile at her and hug her tightly. Acacia looked up at Sinara.  
“Can I help? Need to be out there.” She said, tilting her head. Sinara giggled.  
“Of course, maybe everyone could use a good stretch of their legs…and I could use the fresh meat as well, it would help my recovery.” Acacia nodded confidently. She came over and sat back in Sinara’s lap. The two of them just sat and spent time together, until FeiLing woke.

As the day faded into the afternoon, YueJi and Sinara sat alone in the camp. Vald had gone off hunting with Acacia and FeiLing. It looked like they’d be stuck out in the wilds here for some time, and they needed to stock up on food. Sinara looked over at YueJi, shifting in her seat. “YueJi, I’ve been meaning to ask: What exactly did you and Vald do to have to make amends?” YueJi looked up at Sinara, she sighed.  
“Fine, I guess yer th’leader o’this group….and ya deserve t’hear about what we-“ She cut herself off, sighing again, “-I…did t’get th’two of us in trouble.” She sat up a bit straighter, crossing her legs and setting her sword in her lap. “Vald n’I were sailin’ on a merchant ship, couple months back, we was makin’ ok money, but not really much t’get by. An’everyday…I was fallin’ more n’ more in love with Vald.” She sighed, looking up at the now darkening sky. “He’s really somethin’ Sin…he’s so smart n’handsome…his thoughts are so…much bigger n’mine. And th’stuff he writes is…” She smiled and shook her head. “Never thought I’d come close to somethin’ as beautiful as him.” She looked down at her lap. “I know I don’t deserve him…I never did, but back then, I saw us just gettin’ by, barely makin’ enough to feed him…it was wrong. Vald deserves everthin’! A castle in th’sky…a fleet o’his own! All the food he could eat!” YueJi raised her head as she said this, like she was caught up in her little dream.

Her shoulders sagged as she slumped, letting out a breath of disappointment. “I got a stupid idea…heard from a crew mate that we’d be takin’ on some gold…I came up wit’a plan: I’d sneak in, steal th’gold and Vald and I would escape in a life boat. Harmless crime. An’ I’d be able t’give Vald the life he deserved!” Her features fell as her face turned grim. “I told Vald about it, I needed his muscle…I used him…just like the entire fuckin’ world uses Vuk. Just fer their strength!” She deflated more, dropping her head in shame. “We got caught, were gonna face jail…I tried, so hard. T’plead with ‘em. I tried t’tell em that it was just me, that I just lied t’Vald….but they didn’t care! Before th’trial, LuHuo came t’my cell…She said she saw into m’soul. She told me lotsa things about myself that I…” She wrapped her arms around herself. “…kinda suspected.” She shook her head, sitting up and bit and looking at Sinara. “Anyway, I made th’deal, we’d help all of ya, and in exchange…Vald gets his name cleared.”  
“What about you?” Sinara said having just sat there and listened to what she now knew was YueJi’s confession.

YueJi smirked, then shrugged as she poked at the fire with a stick.  
“I…lose a lot…she said she could save me from th’gallows…or from jail…but I…lose m’fleet claim, and I can’t go back t’my parents. I got nothing after this.” She said softly. She smiled to herself, “but Vald gets a clear name, th’crime gets totally wiped from his record. She gave me that deal…so I could…make it better.” Sinara gasped, she shook her head.  
“I’m…sorry that happened YueJi.” She said softly.  
“It’s all m’fault Sin, no need t’feel sorry.” She said with a shrug. Sinara nodded. She was dumbstruck; she had no idea what to say. But at the very least she was able to gain some insight into YueJi. She leaned back, letting out a soft breath.  
“Thank you for telling me all of this YueJi, I know that you are going to be able to achieve your goal, and I’m thankful for your help.” She said with a smile. YueJi chuckled, wiping her eyes.  
“All I been doin’ is packin’ up camp.”  
“Still it’s been helpful for me to have the assistance.”  
“Yeah maybe…” YueJi said as she looked away, she then leaned a bit closer “Y’can’t tell Vald….I know he’s gotta know, but…not now.” Sinara nodded.  
“It’s your relationship, I won’t interfere.” She said with a solemn nod. YueJi nodded back, getting up to sort out a few things from the wagon. She looked like she was taking out some cooking equipment, likely to deal with the meat that was going to arrive soon. Sinara leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands as she watched her. YueJi seemed like she was a loyal partner, and even if she made mistakes, she was willing to do all she could to make it right. She thought about that as she pulled out her journal, jotting down a few notes as she thought about the events of the day so far. She’d taken charge of the group, which felt odd for her. Sinara also thought about her and Acacia, and how she felt like she was getting closer to her. Sinara wondered if any kind of grand gesture might prove to her how she felt. She frowned, that felt…not like her. Anything attention grabbing or over-the-top really wasn’t the sort of thing Sinara did. She huffed, holding the journal against her chest. 

It was close to evening when the hunting party returned. The three of them looked like they had a joyous time: FeiLing and Acacia were joking, with Vald walking behind them and chuckling. He was carrying a skinned deer. The other two had a few rabbits. Sinara came over smiling “Ah, this will make a grand feast! I’m excited to see what you come up with!” She said a bit hopefully. Acacia laughed, walking up to a rack that had been setup. She hung her catch, as did the other two. She then walked up to Sinara and draped her arms around Sinara’s shoulders carefully. She touched foreheads with her.  
“Hunting went well.” She said simply, even with the mask, Sinara could tell that she was grinning.  
“I…feel like you needed that romp through the woods hmm?”  
“Yeah. Felt pent up.” She said as she leaned against her. Sinara nodded and hugged her back, holding onto her waist delicately.  
“I’m glad to hear it. I think we all needed a recharge. Well, who’s making dinner?” Sinara said as she turned to see Vald walk up to YueJi. He gathered her up into a warm embrace, causing her to let out a giggle.  
“I’ll do it, might as well thank ya fer getting’ all this meat. Rabbit stew for us, fresh deer fer my love here!” She said as she nuzzled Vald back. She looked into his eyes “So, cooked r’ raw Valdy?”  
“I think I’d like a bit of heat in it.” He said with a toothy grin. She chuckled and pushed off of him playfully, starting to prepare all the meat for cooking. Sinara was not grossed out at all from seeing dead animals; in fact, she performed many an autopsy on them. She turned her attention to FeiLing, who had taken up a spot to rest. She had her bow laid out over her lap as usual. She took up a seat near her things, with her soft bed roll set out and bag and books resting next to it. She took the quiet time to start sketching out more drawings, not for her codex, something abstract, to let her mind wander.

Acacia sat beside her, leaning against Sinara as she watched her draw. Sinara smiled enjoying these close moments. After a little while of silence Acacia broke it with a question. “Any ideas?” Sinara sucked on her lower lip.  
“No, it’s just not coming to me.” Sinara said as she reached up to scratch her bandages, she stopped herself though. She sighed, rolling her shoulder. “I might be too distracted with this…it’s…incredibly itchy.” She pouted. Acacia chuckled and gently patted the bandages.  
“Have to suffer to heal” She said sympathetically. She tilted her head, “anything I can do?” Sinara hummed a happy note and hugged her back.  
“No, just be here, I feel so happy just having you close.” Acacia nodded at that, settling into a more comfortable position.  
“More waiting.” She said evenly. Sinara’s ears drooped slightly.  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been bit, I just…was in shock.” Sinara said as she frowned, looking down at her feet. Acacia patted her back gently.  
“No, it’s ok….just…be more alert, it was scary.” She said as she looked in Sinara’s eyes. Sinara smiled, sitting up a bit.

A few hours later, as night started to creep over the lands, YueJi finally called out to everyone. Dinner was ready. The rabbit stew was a welcome respite from the endless parade of hard tack and cured meats. Sinara ate her food gratefully, sometimes using her claws to pop a morsel of meat into her mouth. She was enjoying the feel of fresh cooked meat. Acacia chuckled as she watched her. The group was all sitting around the campfire, silent except for the sounds of eating. Everyone was worn out, and hungry. As everyone was finishing off their meal, Feiling set her bowl aside. “S-sinara, I’ve be-been thinking of something.” She started in an even tone. “All th-the villagers who….were used f-for that wh-whatever it was…” she sighed, reaching into a pouch and pulling out what looked like a belt buckle “I know which village, th-these people c-came from. I kn-know we have to find more of those…things, b-but the elders of the village should know.” FeiLing said as she held the metal buckle out to Sinara, she looked at it. It was silver, with the design of rolling hills etched in the metal. She nodded in agreement.  
“Right, I agree with you….and maybe I can find some clue as to….to who took them?” Sinara said as she handed the trinket back. “Well, change of plan; we’ll head out in the morning. How far away is this village?”  
“Zoashu village is o-only a d-day away.” FeiLing offered helpfully. Sinara turned to face the group.  
“Ah, so as everyone heard, we’ll be heading out in the morning, I’m sorry for the change of plans, but FeiLing thinks we might have a lead, also, the village must be notified of their losses.” She said in as commanding a tone as she could muster. YueJi was lying casually on her side, resting on Vald’s chest, the two of them shrug and nod.  
“We’re always ready t’go boss!” She said cheerily, Vald simply chuckled and tickled her playfully. Causing YueJi to giggle and attempt to escape his grasp to no avail.  
“Ah, the ecstasies of pure, fresh meat! I feel leagues better, I’d be willing to travel through the harshest lands with how well I feel Miss Sinara! We’ll be ready to go by dawn!” He seemed almost giddy with delight. Fresh meat really does have an effect on Vuk. She smirked as she watched them, they were undeniably cute. Acacia tilted her head as she sat next to Sinara, her gazed moved from them to her.  
“I’m always ready to travel.” She said casually. Sinara smiled at her.  
“Well just promise to go slow, my wound still hurts every time I move…I don’t really want to bounce around.” Acacia hugged her waist gently.  
“Anything for the leader.” She said with a teasing wink. Sinara chuckled and returned the hug.

The night passed without much incident, all five members took a watch, it seems like FeiLing preferred to do that rather than rely on Sinara’s alarm runes. Sinara understood that not everyone relied on magic so wholly as her people did, so she was fine with her insistence. She did however taker her first watch, it was only a few hours. The worst part of it was listening to all the sounds of nature. At night, everything seemed much more…sinister. Sinara assumed that she’d get used to such things, she just felt that nature and she did not exactly mix. Once she was able to get settled back into sleep, Sinara slept soundly, her dreams were of the usual kind, vague images she couldn’t really remember by the morning.

As the dawn’s light broke through the trees. Sinara slowly rose from her sleep. She rubbed at her eyes, wincing at the pain flaring up from her wound. She looked around at the campsite, seeing the rest of her party busy themselves with gathering up the camp. With a slight whimper she got up to her feet, patting down her clothes as she assessed her situation. She felt somewhat rested, but ‘roughing it’ took its toll on her. She was now somewhat excited for this village, Sinara hoped that she’d get a bed to sleep in. Acacia spotted Sinara getting up and walked over.  
“You okay?”  
“Yeah, I guess…I’m just feeling things catch up with me. I’m not exactly the hardiest one Acacia.” She said with a wry chuckle. Acacia tilted her head, motioning for her to come over to her. She held onto Sinara and helped her to the wagon.  
“We talked. With your injury, you should ride in the wagon. More rest.” She said with an edge of insistence. Sinara didn’t bother to protest she just nodded as Acacia helped her into it.  
“Thank you Acacia, I shall try my best to be a good patient.” She joked as she settled onto some folded blankets. YueJi and Vald were already seated up front. YueJi poked her head into the back.  
“Heya boss! Lemmie know if’n ya need anythin’!” She said warmly. “I’ll make sure Vald rides as smooth as he can!”YueJi turned back to look out at the road, she nudged Vald as he signalled for the horse to head out. The wagon bounced a bit, but it was certainly less of a bumpy ride than Acacia’s mount. Sinara sighed and settled back into her seat, she took out her journal to try and do some work to make the time pass. She listened to the two of them chat while she worked on her notes.  
Sinara was not exactly sure what would unfold in this journey, but she was learning a great deal. Granted, she was also seeing horrors that her mind could barely understand, but as the saying goes ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. She sighed and set her journal aside, grabbing her spellbook to study it closely. She tried to shift her mind to think of strategy, and combat. Two concepts that were very foreign to Sinara. She was a researcher, not a combat magi. But she would venture to do her best; it seemed they were relying on her. That thought was almost as scary as the idea of facing down some rogue magi.

The day drifted on at a quick pace, at least to Sinara. She did her best to remain as inactive as she could. She rested through the day, despite the movement of the wagon. When she was not resting, she was working on her studies. She glanced out the back of the wagon, her ears perked in surprise as she saw the now setting sun. Sinara yawned, rubbing her eyes and trying her best to crawl over to the front of the wagon. She knelt near the seats at the front, poking her head out to glance at YueJi and Vald. “Do either of you know how close we are?” Vald shrugged, glancing back to flash a toothy grin at Sinara.  
“Alas, I’ve no clue where we are, land confounds me. If we were on the sea, I’d know my exact location!” Vald said matter-of-factly. YueJi snickered.  
“Yeah two sailors hoofin’ it ain’t really how it should be! Don’ worry boss, we’ll let ya know when we get there!” YueJi said as she leaned back, she seemed to be cleaning the pistol she wore on her belt.  
“Ah, that’s a rather remarkable firearm!” She commented, noting the pearl handle.  
“Yeah m’pa gave it t’me when I left t’find m’fortune!” She said as she started to reassemble it, gently running a finger along the barrel. “Means a lot t’me, he got this boardin’ pistol when he made captain…” She looked over her shoulder to Sinara, she could see the tinge of sadness.  
‘That’s all she’s going to have of her father…’ Sinara thought to herself, she felt her ears pin back at that, feeling a note of sympathy for YueJi. The poor woman really has given up a lot to atone for her crimes. Sinara felt herself wishing she could have done something. She cleared her throat.  
“Ah, well, is it alright if I stay here with you two for a bit? I’m a tad bored back there.” Sinara said as she motioned to the rear of the wagon. YueJi shrugged, holstering her sidearm.  
“Sure! Might as well do some gum flappin’! Best way t’get t’know each other!” She said happily. Vald chuckled as he kept his eyes on the road, nodding in agreement.  
“You tend to ask all the questions it seems, I should feel it’s sporting to let YueJi and I ask a few hmm?” Vald said as he glanced at his love. Sinara nodded.  
“Well…that’s fair enough I suppose, ask away.”  
“Hmmm…” YueJi mused as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s see, how long you an’th’plant lady been together?” this comment earned her a nudge from Vald.  
“That is an improper way to refer to Fornmir” He chided, to which YueJi shrugged.  
“Whatever, so what’s th’scoop boss!?”  
“Well….” Sinara said as she shifted in her seat. “We’ve only met a week or so ago. I sort of…admired her, but she’s the one who proposed we try out a relationship.” She said as she adjusted her glasses. YueJi snickered.  
“Heh, well, she seems real uh, nice! Kinda quiet, but nice!” She said as she thought of another question, tapping her chin with a slender finger. “Hmm…”  
“Tell us about your studies!” Vald mercifully interjects. “I’ve been eager to learn what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish.” Sinara perked up at this question, she loved the chance to talk about such things.  
“Well! It might seem macabre, but I think as a fellow imperial citizen, you’ll understand!” She beams to Vald. “I am attempting to learn more about human anatomy. As you know, there’s never been any kind of comprehensive codex on how human bodies work. I grew up learning about the medical arts, and as I gained more and more surgical expertise I began to worry about how lacking our libraries were in physiological knowledge about the other races. So I thought it would be the perfect subject of study to learn more about humans…however there are many obstacles that I faced.” She adjusted her glasses again. Vald nodded as she spoke and YueJi looked like her eyes were glazing over. Sinara continued “But in the end, I felt that just jumping in, and travelling the lands of Fera was the best way. I ended up approaching their council of wisdom, and was able to gain permission to travel their lands; On the condition that I share my research.” She shrugged, playing with her claws idly “This is of no consequence to me, I just want to improve the quality of life for everyone, if Feran healers had access to such a codex…imagine the lives that could be saved!” Vald chuckled as Sinara finished her info dump.  
“A noble goal…and you care not for your own gain?” He asked, looking over his shoulder. Sinara blinked.  
“Well…I’d gain the experience and knowledge from this! What greater reward could I ask?”  
“Gold? Wealth?” He countered. Sinara shook her head.  
“My family is well enough off…and I make enough when I work at either the academy or the hospital. It is of no concern to me.” She said casually. Vald and YueJi looked at each other, then YueJi looked back at Sinara, turning in her seat.  
“Wait so…ya don’t wanna make money off this!?” She asked in genuine confusion.  
“Well, how could I? This is a book for the betterment of everyone! All I want to do is contribute to the greater scientific knowledge of both of our people!” She said with a proud tone. YueJi simply shrugged.  
“Ok boss…yer weird!”

As night finally fell in the forest, the group of travellers came upon the village. It was a small gathering of buildings with a shrine and temple in the center of town. In most Feran villages this served as the nerve center of the community, and was where FeiLing guided them. Sinara sat up from her dozing as she felt the wagon come to a stop. She stretched and looked around. Both Vald and YueJi were busying themselves getting the horse tied. As Sinara went to get out of the wagon, Acacia appeared there. She tilted her head at Sinara and helped her down, tapping her nose playfully. “Missed you.” She said as Sinara blushed.  
“Oh, yes, I missed you as well Acacia. So, what’s happening?”  
“FeiLing’s talking with the elders.” She said as she placed her hands on Sinara’s sides. “Might…want to stay here.”  
“Oh right, I’d rather not cause a problem…” She said with a frown. Sinara looked down at Acacia, smiling at her and touching her forehead to Sinara’s.  
Sinara could hear the conversation that FeiLing was having, they exchanged quiet words, but she could make out that FeiLing was explaining what happened, and vowing to find the cause. She heard her call Sinara’s name, and she came over to where FeiLing was standing. She was conversing with two elders, both of them were wearing silken robes with rope belts and gold clasps on them. They both looked to Sinara “So, this is the one you spoke of FeiLing?” one of them asked. FeiLing nodded, motioning to Sinara.  
“Y-yes, this is Sinara of h-house Talon. She’s th-the one that the shaman had vi-visions of…and I agree that she’s our b-best bet to finding the cause of all this.” Sinara simply smiled nervously at her introduction. One elder walked up to Sinara, looking her over. They huffed and nodded. The other elder bowed to FeiLing.  
“We would be honoured if you stayed here Mistress Goldendawn, please, rest and hopefully you can find what took our people. Thank you for what you did for them FeiLing, I hope they can find rest now.” FeiLing returned the bow, and the two elders walked off towards the shrine. Sinara tilted her head.  
“So…things are good then?” she asked as she adjusted her glasses. Her injury still throbbed with pain, but she did her best to hide it. FeiLing turned to face Sinara.  
“W-we are welcome to rest here, I-I’ll leave it up t-to you to decide how long th-that is…but b-be careful here. M-most Ferans don’t’ like Valhaer.” FeiLing said as she headed off to guide their mounts to the stables, of course, Acacia’s mount simply bounded off for the woods.

As the group was led to a small tea house, Sinara plotted her next step. She had two options: She could attempt to question the villagers, to see if they saw anything, or she could attempt a more precise tracking spell…it could work if she was focused and careful. Sinara was snapped out of her thoughts by the feeling of her hand being taken. She looked over to see Acacia taking up step beside her. Acacia nodded at her. “You’re thinking.” She said. Sinara grinned, rubbing the back of her head.  
“Well, I’m trying to see what we can do to find the source of this.” She said as she squeezed Acacia’s slender hand. “I’ve been…resting all day, but I fear I might need more Acaica, I’m not feeling so well.” Sinara said with a huff. They entered the tea house, it was a nice, quaint building with a larger central room and stairs leading up to the rooms for rent. The rest of them headed upstairs, apparently, FeiLing’s reputation proceeded her, as they already had rooms for them.  
They shared one large room, and Sinara didn’t even care about any lack of privacy, she simply took her hyreggar off and flopped face first onto her bed. It felt like centuries since she’d slept in a bed! She let out a gloriously happy moan as she stretched and quickly fell asleep. Vald carried in their bags, and set everything aside in a corner, her turned to YueJi.  
“Seeing as we appear to be lodging here for some time, and our boss is asleep…shall we get a drunk or three?” He said with a devious smirk. YueJi chuckled and nodded to Acacia  
“Yeah, well Acacia, we’ll be around if’n ya need us ok?” YueJi said as she headed out, Acacia nodded and went over to sit next to the now snoring Sinara. She took off her mask and smiled at her. Acacia ran her hand through her fluffy hair.  
“You are good at danger Sinara. But you have me to protect you.” She said softly as she settled into place next to her, simply sitting there and enjoying the silence.

 

YueJi and Vald came down into the tea house, the scent of food wafted over them. Forcing Vald to smack his lips as his hunger peaked. “It’s been hours my dear, I hope you can allow some morsels to go with our libations?” Vald asked as he graciously helped her down the stairs, offering a hand as if he were a noble man at a ball. She chuckled and looked around.  
“Y’know I’d never let ya go hungry Vald! OK…you get seats, I’ll get th’grub!” YueJi said as she headed to the bar, ordering a mess of food and some rice wine. She grinned and set the coins on the counter. “So….ya got like a, Vuk discount, my boy needs a lot o’meat!” She said as she gestured to Vald, who was awkwardly trying to sit in a chair by a table in the corner, he instead simply sat on the floor. The woman at the counter simply smiled politely.  
“Because you are visitors, and hosting the great Mistress Goldendawn, I’ll see what I can do!” She said cheerily. YueJi nodded her thanks, heading back to the table. She sat next to Vald, smiling over at him. She shifted in her seat, then idly scratched his cheek. He hummed happily.  
“We’ve not had much down time since…since we were.” His ears drooped. YueJi, frowned at him.  
“Since I got us locked up!” YueJi said dejectedly. Vald gasped, placing a hand on hers.  
“No, no! I’ve said this time and time again YueJi. This was our mistake, I went along with your plan…I could have said no at any time.” He said reassuringly. YueJi shook her head and huffed.  
“Ah’m sorry Vald…I keep brinin’ it up, I can’t stop thinkin’ about how much I ruined things…an’ now we’re out here, no sea, no ship and n’erm…jus’ no freedom.” She said as she poured herself the first of many drinks. Vald took a deep breath, pouring a drink of his own.  
“We’ve been through much my love, and we’ll continue to do so, together. I’ve been sensing your pain, your worry…YueJi I love you and I am by your side. Always.” He said with determination. YueJi smiled at him, throwing her arms around him in a hug.  
“I keep forgettin’ how lucky I am, and y’just keep remindin’ me Vald!” She said happily. Vald hugged her back, then starting sniffing softly. He beamed as their food was set before them, and with a few exchanges of haggling, YueJi settled their bill. The two of them settled into their dinner, sharing a meal and private moment for the first time in many weeks.

FeiLing huffed as she dusted her hands off, heading back from the stables and to the main road of the small village. She smiled as she watched some of the villagers as they headed home for the evening. It reminded her a little bit of home, for the first time in a long while, she felt a pang of homesickness. Her mother would always give her the biggest hug whenever she returned from her duties. FeiLing felt the strongest longing to taste her cooking as well. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore such thoughts. At best, they were a distraction, and FeiLing could not afford any of those. Even if she wasn’t leading this little expedition, she knew that Sinara was depending on her expertise. Even if FeiLing did not fully trust that Valhaer woman, it was in their best interest to work together. She honestly didn’t know what to make of Sinara. On the one hand, she was so very much like a Valhaer: Obsessed with forcing their ways on others, bragging and talking too much. She had that fire that she saw in all Valhaer’s eyes. But on the other hand, she was so very different. Sinara seemed to respect Feran culture, and she was so caring of others. It did make things harder for FeiLing, she was more comfortable when she knew who was an enemy and who was an ally. She shrugged these thoughts off as she walked to the teahouse. When she entered the hostess and server both bowed to her. She removed her hat and returned the bow deeply. Glancing over to the corner, she saw that YueJi and Vald were in the process of getting drunk, well, YueJi was. Apparently a Vuk’s regeneration and metabolism makes it very hard to get drunk. So Vald was just sitting with her and humouring his lover’s absurd jokes. She sighed and shook her head, climbing the stairs to her room. She had arranged for a room of her own. FeiLing felt like she needed a little space from the ragtag group she’d found herself with.

A few hours later, Sinara blinked her eyes open, she’d been having the most wonderful dream, and as she realized who was sitting next to her, she smiled and hugged Acacia. Pulling herself closer to her lover, Sinara made a happy cooing sound as she rubbed her face against Acacia’s side. Causing Acacia to chuckle and hug her back. She had her mask off and resting in her lap, smiling down at Sinara. “Welcome back Sinara.” She said as she looked down at her, stroking her hand through Sinara’s feathery hair. Sinara giggled and shifted around to sit beside Acacia. She yawned and stretched, letting out a soft yelp as her injury flared in pain. With a whimper she carefully leaned her head on Acacia’s.  
“Thanks, I still feel so…drained…” She said as she cuddled Acacia more.  
“Hmph, now you know.” She teased back, causing Sinara to chuckle.  
“Ah, true! Hmm, it’s nice to have a bed to rest in though.” She said as she snuggled Acacia even more.  
“Feeling affectionate?”  
“Mmmm yes, I’m not exactly sure what’s come over me.” She said playfully leaning up to kiss Acacia. Acacia kissed her back and pulled Sinara into her lap. She was far smaller than Sinara, so it was a little awkward, the two of them giggled as they shared a few moments of intimacy. Sinara did not seem to pull back or hesitate; she leaned into Acacia and moaned softly. Her lover returned the affections, lightly tracing her fingers up Sinara’s thighs and sides. Sinara sighed and smiled down at Acacia, she could feel her cheeks flush with excitement. “I think…that once I’m healed, and erm…we’re in a place like this again…” She babbled, then huffed, frustrated with her embarrassment. “I think I’m ready.” She said eventually. Acacia smiled up at her, she nodded and continued to admire Sinara’s body. Sinara blushed even more, leaning back down to kiss her. The two of them spent the night like that. And when they drifted off to sleep it was one of the deepest, most restful sleeps Sinara has ever experienced.

The next morning, Sinara rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She sat up in bed, looking over to see YueJi and Vald sprawled out on the bed across the room. Neither of them had pants on, Sinar clasped her hand over her eyes. She groaned as she got out of the bed, this was certainly the last time she’d fall asleep in her clothes! It was beginning to get uncomfortable. As she avoided looking at her roommates, she quickly changed and headed down stairs. Sinara went with a sleek, dark purple dress, with gold accents. It was sleeveless and a nice breezy garment to wear. She had a black leather belt with a gold buckle to hold her spell book. As she took a breath to latch up her Hyreegar she sighed with relief. Sometimes feeling the tight constraining steel was reassuring, this was one of those times. Acacia seemed to still be sleeping. There was no point in waking her and she figured Acacia could use the extra rest, she was still healing technically. Sinara ran her hands through her hair as she headed down the stairs to the main room of the teahouse. She ordered something for breakfast, and sat in a corner as she pieced together what her next move could possibly be. As she sat eating and thinking, a young woman approached her. Sinara’s ears perked up and she looked up at the newcomer. The girl looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, Sinara was trying to get better at guessing the ages of humans. It might help in her research down the line. She was wearing a simple brown and yellow robe, with a brown belt and silver clasp. Her black hair was tied into a simple bun. A few moments of awkward silence passed before the girl spoke “You’re one of the outsiders that came in last night?” She asked in a quiet tone. Sinara figured she should bow her head.  
“Oh, um…yes! My name is Sinara, I’m working with FeiLing to help your people.”  
“I don’t trust you demons…but I trust the Goldendawns….so I guess I’ll help.”  
“Oh? Do you know something about what happened?” Sinara asked, she kept her tone as light as she could, and tried her best to look non-threatening. This was a sharp reminder to her that this was how she’ll be seen by the majority of people here.  
“I was there the night when he took my father….” The girl said tersely. Sinara gasped and leaned forward, she simply nodded to encourage her to continue. The girls shifted from one foot to the next.  
“I was coming home with father from the markets, there was a man standing in the road and he…” she shut her eyes, and then took a breath. “He reached out and took…took my father, it was like he was gripped…and…he started walking to the man. He told me to run and I did!” Sinara patiently let her regain herself before asking.  
“Do you…remember what he looked like?” Sinara pressed lightly. The girl opened her eyes.  
“Like you! He looked like you!”

 

-END-


	5. Things Start to Twist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quest becomes more complex and twisted then Sinara had originally thought.

Chapter 5: Things Start to Twist

 

 

Sinara gasped at the girl’s exclamation. Was she meaning what she thought? No, the Feran culture is very open-minded about gender. She tried to calm the ill-feeling in her stomach. She’d been dreading people’s meanness that she’d been raised to think they have. Perhaps her parents were just being overprotective? She shook her head of these thoughts and pressed her further. “What do you mean? How did he look like me?”  
“He had your same colours…and his eyes….they looked like yours do…”  
“Was there anything else? Did he have…scars or markings!?” at that question the girl tapped her lips with a finger.  
“Oh yeah! He had…dark marking down his cheeks. Like this” She drew three fingers down each cheek to indicate where the markings were. Sinara was taken aback; she sat back with a stunned look on her face. She nodded to the girl.  
“Thank you…she said quietly.” With that the girl turned to leave. 

Sinara’s mind whirled, it couldn’t be! He had her eyes?…Those markings…her brother!? But Kayas was dead. Dead, mourned and gone. She curled up into herself, feeling all perceptions of the outside world retreat as she fell into her own mind. Sinara thought about the sigils on the pillar, it suddenly snapped into her mind! She saw those before…in her brother’s spellbook. When she was younger she came into his room, when he was in classes, she remembered opening it to blank page, with those sigils scrawled on them. She tried to think back on anything else she could remember. Anything that could be of value, but it was so long ago…all the small moments from her life held such little remembrance.

She was snapped back to reality with a tap to her horn. Sinara looked up in shock, then sighed as she saw Acacia looking down at her. She was dressed for the day, and wearing her mask. Even through it though, Sinara could see the concern in her eyes. “Ok?” She asked, tilting her head and tapping on her horn. Sinara nodded.  
“I’ve….received some news that was rather shocking, but I know who is doing this….at least, I think so, but it’s impossible!” She said almost to herself. Acacia sat beside her, leaning against Sinara and trying to calm her.  
“What’s going on?” She asked in an even tone. Sinara sighed and rubbed her temples, smiling at her wonderful girlfriend.  
“I spoke with a girl from this village, she told me that her father was taken, and she…she saw who did it. She described my brother!” Sinara said with a hushed tone, like she was afraid others would hear.  
Acacia hummed and tapped her mask in thought. “But…he’s dead. You told me.” Sinara sighed and shrugged.  
“But her description! What reason would she have to lie!? Acacia…this is bad, this is…very, very bad.” She said as she hung her head.

Acacia lifted Sinara’s chin with a finger “It’s ok Sinara…we’ll find out the truth.” She said as she looked her in the eyes. Sinara felt herself calm, and she nodded sharply.  
“You are right…losing my head or jumping to conclusions helps no one. So the question is…what do we do next?” Sinara said as she shifted in her seat. Acacia got up suddenly.  
“I’m hungry.” She said before walking over to get some food. Sinara watched her go. She felt a pang of hunger too, but felt too nervous to eat. She tried to sort this over in her mind. If her brother was alive, why didn’t her parents tell her about it? Did they know? Or is this all just a big coincidence? If it was, it would be hard to believe. She was going to have to solve this little problem herself, and she was fairly certain how she would do so. Acacia came back, with some tea and biscuits. She sat back down next to Sinara, giving her a nod. She sets a cup of tea down in front of her, and put the plate of biscuits between them. Sinara chuckled at her, taking one of the sweets to nibble on.  
“How’d you know?”  
“I assumed.” She answered as she pushes her mask up to sip her tea. “Any ideas?” Sinara nodded as she started to enjoy the food.  
“Well, yes…if my brother…truly is alive, I can use some of his life essence to track him.”  
“Life essence?” Acacia asked curiously. Sinara leaned in to whisper to her.  
“I still have a keepsake of his, something that was dear to him.” She said as she dug into a pouch, producing a golden medallion. “this was given to him as an award.” She said as she traced a claw along it. “He….said I could have it, for luck…” Her voice tinged with sadness, she felt like she was going to cry. Acacia squeezed her other hand for support. She cleared her throat. “At any rate, this should still bear a connection to him and I can create a ritual to track him.”  
“How long?” Acacia asked as she tried her best to comfort Sinara, who cooed softly.  
“It should take me a day….I fear I need to rest for today though, I still feel worn out…” She said wearily. “Then, we can prove my late brother’s innocence and move on to the next lead!” She said as she looked over at Acacia, Sinara’s eyes betrayed her lack of confidence though.

Sinara and Acacia finished their morning meal. Even though she didn’t really feel like eating, Sinara still had a few of the light biscuits on Acacia’s demand. She still felt like this could unbelievable, and she was eager to get to preparing the ritual needed to prove her brother could not possibly be behind this. To let him go back to resting in peace. As the two of them got up to leave, FeiLing came down from the rooms upstairs. She was wearing a simple, dark robe, sleeveless to apparently show off her arms. She had black bracers and a jade coloured belt with gold buckle. Her pants were green and looked to be a soft looking material. She simply wore dark sandals on her feet. She lacked her wide hat and scarf, making her look far less intimidating. She smiled and walked over to the two of them, crossing her arms over her chest “W-well….any news?” She said as she looked over the two of them. Sinara stepped forward, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.  
“Ah, yes, well….there has been some progress is potentially finding the culprit.” She said matter-of-factly. FeiLing raised a brow, but nodded for her to continue. “Well, I spoke with a girl from the village, and she said she was there the night her father was…taken, she said that the person who did it…well, the description she gave sounded like my brother.” She said quietly. After a moment of hesitation, FeiLing placed her hand on Sinara’s shoulder. Sinara looked up to see a softer expression on the woman’s face.  
“W-what did you w-want to do about it?” She asked in a kind tone. Sinara sighed.  
“Her description was accurate...but it’s too impossible to believe, and also, to Ferans we might all look alike. I am going to prepare a ritual to see if it really is him…But I need to rest first.” She said as she felt a bit of relief from FeiLing’s kindness. FeiLing nodded at Sinara.  
“I-is there anyth-thing I can do t-to help?” She asked patiently. Sinara sighed again, and shook her head.  
“Thank you FeiLing, I just need to rest…” Sinara said as she smiled up at FeiLing. “I’m sorry, I really don’t mean to slow everything down.” FeiLing shrugged.  
“I-I’ll work on m-making sure we’re r-ready to go, whenever y-you are.” She said as she nodded to her, then took her leave. FeiLing headed outside of the teahouse to probably conduct whatever business she needed to. Sinara watched her go then glanced over to Acacia.  
“Is it just me, or is she warming up to my presence?” She said with a half smirk. Acacia chuckled and hugged her gently.  
“You are infectious.”  
“You mean my personality is?” Acacia simply shrugged, offering no clarification. Sinara giggled, the two of them heading back up to the room.

When they entered their shared room, YueJi and Vald were in the process of waking. YueJi groaned and sat on her bed, looking like a cat that had been jostled out of a nap. Vald was just finished dressing when Acacia and Sinara came in. He turned to face them, a smile on his muzzle. “Ah, hello there you two, I take it you rose a little early Sinara?” Sinara chuckled as she looked between YueJi and him.  
“Well….ah, a tad earlier than you two…you came in late, and rather drunk from what I could tell.” She said with a grin. YueJi snorted.  
“I was th’drunk one, he’s jus’babysittin’ me!” She said as she got out of the bed, stretching and making sure her clothes were on straight. “So, what’s th’plan!?”  
“I’m going to need to rest in order to perform a magical ritual that will aid us on our next step of this journey. What I need from you two is…total calm and no disruptions for the day.” Sinara said as she sat on her bed. YueJi nodded.  
“Cool boss, we’ll take it outside, wander th’village and stay outta yer hair!” She said as she looked at Vald, nodding. Vald simply smiled and walked over to draw YueJi into a big hug.  
“I shall do this one better, YueJi and I shall sleep in the wagon, will that help?” Sinara smiled.  
“I can’t thank you enough for that, yes, it will help greatly.” She said with a bow of her head. Vald nodded.  
“Well, time to head out then, shall we?” he said, looking down at YueJi. She simply smirked and grabbed their pack.  
“Yeah, let’s get outta here!” She said as she winked and nodded at Sinara. “Give these two a chance to have at it!” Sinara blushed at that, but chuckled and shrugged.  
“I said rest YueJi, not exercise!” She teased back. YueJi grinned and headed out with Vald in tow. Now alone, Sinara sighed and flopped onto the bed. “I am still unsure if this is a dream or reality. A month ago I was at home, studying and doing my best to stay out of everyone’s way.” Acacia took off her mask, smiling and crawling on the bed to lay next to her. She tapped Sinara’s nose lightly.  
“Boop. Real.” Sinara smirked, sighing and looking at the ceiling. “Well, I suppose I should get ready.”

YueJi groaned as she stepped out into the sunny streets of the village. Vald came up beside her, angling himself so that his shadow was giving her shade. He chuckled “Ah, the advantages of size.” He said playfully. YueJi didn’t respond, she just looked down at her feet as they walked along. She scratched her hair idly as she sighed. But again, no comment from her. Vald’s ears pinned back and he whined softly. “What’s wrong? Have I….done something!?” He said softly. YueJi snapped her gaze up to look at him.  
“Wha? No no! Sorry Vald, I jus’ feel like crap onna stick…Probably shouldn’ta tied so many on last night…” She mumbled as she leaned against him. Vald smiled, then sniffed her hair. Looking down at his beloved, she really did look a wreck: Her hair was messed and her eyes had heavy bags under them.  
“Ugh, ah…yes…maybe a bath would do you well hmm?”  
“Yeah, that sounds like it’d be jus’about heaven Vald!” She says as she walks along with him. She looks around at the street, but the sun was too bright for her hangover. Vald wrapped an arm around her and squeezes a bit.  
“It does not appear this village is big enough to support a bath house, so why not something more…natural?” He said with a grin. YueJi looked at him, raising a brow.  
“I dunno if I want a col’bath though love. I jus’wanna soak an’be warm…” She said with a slight whine in her voice.  
“Trust me, I’ve been learning a few new tricks.” He said with a grin on his muzzle. YueJi perked up, and followed him along as he led her to the edges of the village.

Vald walked into the forest at the edge of the village, and carefully led YueJi for a bit, before she could start to hear the burble of moving water. As they cleared the brush YueJi could indeed see they had come upon the bank of a small stream, there was a little pool formed by a slight drop in the path of the stream. It looked to only be a few feet deep. YueJi smiled as she looked around the spot he found. “Yer so good at findin’ all these pretty places Vald!”  
“Well what can I say? As a Stormcaller, I suppose I’m just in touch with nature!” he said as he started to move his hands in a circle. As he did so, he kept his attention focused on the small pool. After a few minutes, the water started to steam just a bit, a few wisps of steam could be seen. “It should be just warm enough for a bath.” YueJi dipped her hand in gasping in astonishment.  
“Kor! I c’n feel it! Vald, that’s amazin’! It feels as warm as a bath! Uh…this ain’t gonna hurt nothing ain’t it!?” She said as she started to eagerly disrobe. Vald smiled as he watched his beloved.  
“Ah, no no, any fish coming through will barely feel it.” He sucked in a breath. “YueJi my dear. You are simply stunning…a breathtaking sight if ever there was one!” He said, still keeping the motions going. YueJi blushed at his praise, she carefully stepped into the pool, letting out a moan of pleasure at the feel of the warm water. She knelt down and dunked her head a few times, swishing the water idly as she relished the feel of it.  
“Ya get more n’more awesome Vald!” She said as she retrieved the soap they brought with them from a bag. She started to scrub herself free of the grime from travel. Vald took the opportunity to look her over. YueJi was a stunningly beautiful woman, with smooth, toned limbs and a shapely build. Her breasts, by the gods Vald thought about them more than he probably should. They were wonders, wonders that he often lavished with attention when he had the chance. He shifted his stance as he watched her bathe, her back was so toned. He gulped, shaking his head to regain his focus. YueJi was such a prize, her name apparently meant ‘unusual flower’ loosely translated, and he could not think of a more fitting meaning for her. She was a beautiful flower, but one that is rare and amazing. He was honoured he was the one she chose. He cleared his throat.  
“um…I’ve been meaning to ask, I mean it’s simple curiosity and I never really asked….but how was it for you? Back in the fleets? Um…you know, being the rare flower you are.” YueJi stopped washing, turning to face him.  
“Oh yeah, bein’ how I am right? Well, th’fleets ain’t as…open minded as Fera, y’know we don’t got the whole Children o th’Moon and all…M’mum figured it out first. I hated th’boys clothes and really didn’t fit in. She took me aside and asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted t’be a girl. She told me I always was an’she’d make sure everyone knew that square.” She said as she started to dry herself off. “Mum’s smarter n’most, an’wise an’all being a monk…” her voice trailed off a bit. She took a breath and flipped her hair back. “I can’t think what it’d be like if she didn’t take m’aside like that…I’d…probably be sad all th’time, I used to jus’ see everythin’ as grey and now.” She turned to face Vald, hugging him tightly. “I couldn’t be happier Vald.” He smiled down at her.   
“Well, I am so happy to hear that. I wish I could have made your earlier life happier…” he said as he nuzzled her gently. YueJi giggled and returned the affection.   
“S’ok Valdy...I got you, n’I got th’love o’m’family. I got alot more n’some have y’know?” Vald nodded at her, smiling.   
“Might as well get dressed my love.”  
“No, what if’n I wanna stay like this some more?” She said with a giggle, burying her face in his chest fur. Vald gently petted her drying hair, content to just stay like that for a while.

They spent a good hour in that small clearing, Vald laid down to let YueJi just lay on him. Her naked body felt so wonderful against him like that. They sometimes did this just, lay together. Not in a sexual way. Just in a way that felt like they were both at peace and enjoying each other. YueJi had dozed off, and Vald was left to simply stare up at the clouds and hold her while she took a nap. She really did drink a lot last night. He mused to himself. She’d feel better before they had to head out though, so no harm done. YueJi stirred and yawned, sitting up to stretch as she straddled him. She giggled and got up, walking over to get dressed. Vald simply watched her with a wolfish grin on his face. His ear flicked a few times, and he scratched at it before realizing he was hearing something. After a few seconds of listening he realized it was a caravan rolling down the nearby road. He got to his feet, padding over to stand near YueJi. She was just tightening her sword belt over her chest, mumbling to herself. “Vald, I think they got bigger…I keep havin’t’go wider n’wider with m’sword belt…” He chuckled and playfully grabbed her breasts over her robes.  
“Aye, aye, I think they might be more bountiful YueJi!” He said with a chuckle, nuzzling her neck as she giggled and playfully fought him. The two of them stopped once they heard yelling coming from the road.

YueJi and Vald snapped their attention in the direction of the chaos. She broke off first, with Vald loping off after her. They snuck up to the edge of the road to see what was going on, and it was just as Vald feared: bandits, about five of them, all armed with various weapons of harmful implementation. He looked at YueJi, who was already crouched for action, he slowly shook his head. She hissed back “We gotta do somethin!” as she said that they could indeed see that the bandits were jostling the passengers and driver out of the carriage and down to the ground. The driver tried to fight back, but he was pushed to the ground. The bandit drew a pistol to finish him off. And that was when Vald knew this was going to involve them. YueJi seemed to flicker in place for a moment, then was gone.

The world was moving in slow motion, it always did whenever YueJi used her gift. She found out from a young age that she could alter the…rhythm of time. That was the best way she could put it. She was able to make things faster or slower around her, and she found that most of the time, making herself faster was the most advantageous. She dashed up to the bandit, taking the pistol from his hand and striking him on the temple, not enough to kill, just knock him out. She then went up to the rest of the bandits, hitting them in sensitive or otherwise painful spots. YueJi also found out that in this state, just simple taps from her ended up having far larger impacts. The cost of this all though was that it would drain her energy easily, leaving her weak afterwards. As she grabbed the spear out of the hand of the last bandit, she tapped him on the face. He’ll feel that in the morning, walking back closer to Vald. She stopped the shifting. Time slowly reverted back to normal.

Vald barely had time to turn his head to where he had to assume YueJi went before she appeared in front of him. He headed out from the bushes to catch her as she collapsed in his arms. All of the bandits looked as if they’d been struck by wild horses, in one swift motion they all tumbled back, and flew through the air, spun as if struck by a giant. In just the span of a second they all lay on the road, groaning in pain. Vald stood tall, holding YueJi in his arms. He looked over to the driver and passengers “Auhm….why don’t we just keep this between us?” He said with a toothy grin. The driver bowed to him deeply.  
“I don’t know what just happened…but, but thank you! I promise that I and my passengers will say nothing, right?” He said glancing back to the two passengers, a younger couple, they both nodded in shock. Vald set his flower aside before making sure to secure the bandits, tying them up with their own rope. The caravan clattered off down the road. He watched it go a huffed.  
“Guess I have to carry you lot to the village or…somewhere!?” He said, turning his head as he heard YueJi stir. He gathered he into his arms as she groaned and rubbed her head.  
“Always hurts like hell after…” She mumbled as she blinked her eyes open. “everythin ok? Are they…” She said as she looked out at her work, sighing in relief. “it’s kinda hard to’remember it when I do it.” She said groggily. Vald hugged her tighter.  
“All taken care of, and now we just have to figure out what to do with the trash here.” He said as he indicated to the bandits lined up at the side of the road.

FeiLing sat in the elder’s home, kneeling before them as their tea was served. It was a smaller building, but a very traditional and well-built home. The wood was stained a dark shade of brown and the panels were a soft beige. She looked up at the elders once their tea was served bowing her head. “Th-thank you for the meal, and for th-the information you’ve given us.” She said as she took the cup of tea to cradle it in her hands. The elders both looked at eachother then to FeiLing. She noted that they appeared to be twins, and from what she could tell their both wore the titles of xir, they made her think of her younger siblings. TaiYang and BaoChan are twins, a few years younger than her and both of them were wonderful to be around. She felt another pang of homesickness, and so desperately wanted to see her family again. They exchanged a few glances with each other.  
“We are honoured to help the eldest child of the Goldendawn clan, however. We have concerns.”  
“C-concerns?” FeiLing said as she looked up a them.  
“Yes, you are travelling with that Valhaer woman…” One of them said.  
“…And even if you vouch for her, we still don’t trust her.” The other intoned. FeiLing rubbed her chin as she thought about what to say. She nodded at both of them.  
“I-I understand th-that the Valhaer have done m-much harm to our people, b-but I t-trust Sinara, she’s different, she c-cares about people in a w-way I haven’t even seen from some F-Ferans.” She said as she looked each of them in the eyes confidently.

YueJi groaned as she blinked her eyes open. She could see the cloth roof that could only be their wagon. Looking around her, she spotted Vald, he was sitting next to her, reading one of his books. He looked up from his reading and smiled at her. “Hmm, your talent really does take it out of you.” He said as he set his book over and nodded at her. “Are you ok?” YueJi rubbed her head as she sat up, crossing her legs and wrapping the blanket around her.  
“I feel like m’heads gonna burst, but yeah, I’m ok Vald.” She said as she gave him a smirk. “What’a day, huh!?”  
“Ah, yes, seems like it’s our new norm, but I’m proud of you YueJi, that was brave.”  
“Pshaw, I was jus’doing what was right!” she said dismissively. Vald however crawled over to her, touching his nose to hers.  
“You are brave YueJi…I was going to just hide there, out of fear for you. But you saw something bad happening, and you stopped it.” He said in an adoring tone. She blushed under his affections, shaking her head.  
“Vald I…feel like…” she started hesitantly. He quirked a brow.  
“What’s wrong YueJi?” he asked as she looked up at him, sighing.  
“I jus’love that you…love me, love who I am...how I look? I mean most of th’time I’m ok, especially here, no one judges. But other places…I know people see th’stubble if I didn’t shave, or m’wide shoulders…but you’re here, like worshipin’ me, and it just…feels good Vald.” She said as she squirmed where she sat, it was hard for her to confess such feelings, but she’s been feeling it more and more lately. Vald sat down and pulled her into his lap.  
“YueJi Swiftwind of the Red Tide fleet. I swear on all the honour of my house, that I tell the truth when I say you are the most beautiful woman I even laid my eyes on.” He said as he hugged her tighter. “I could spend hours telling you how I love every inch of your body, how it is beautiful, strong, and so very perfect in my eyes…or I could show you…” He said with a slight growl, his eyes flash daringly. YueJi grinned and laid back on the pile of blankets he had set out for her.  
“Well, I can’t really say no t’my big ol’Valdy!”

Sinara sat on the bed in her room. She was wearing a simple dress she’d packed: A dark red, medium length sleeveless dress. The collar was high and had an angular design down the front of it. Her hair was tied back to not bother her as she prepared her ritual. Sinara had removed her bandages earlier in the day, and she was pleased to see that there were barely any marks from her injury. The side of her collar where she was bit had a slight bit of discoloration, but that would fade with time. She was pleased that her technique worked so well. She had her spellbook laid out in front of her on the bed, and there were a series of intricate arcane symbols floating in the air in front of her. She slowly added to the shape by adding more sigils to it carefully. Acacia was lounging on a chair, watching her lover work her magics. After she inscribed a complex set of glowing runes, Sinara looked over at Acacia. “You are distracting me Acacia.” She said with a slight smirk. Acacia sat up in the chair she had flopped in, setting aside her glaive that she was in the middle of cleaning. She smiled back at her,  
“I can go?” She teased.  
“Oh no no, I am loving this time we have, I just…I hope you aren’t bored.” Sinara said, adding to her work. Acacian shrugged.  
“I like being near you.” This comment made Sinara smile. Acacia tilted her head at Sinara, her expression softening a bit. The two of them sat there for a while, with Acacia just watching her work and Sinara doing her best to execute the ritual with as much precision as she could. She’d never done this before and she needed to get it right. All she wanted was for the spell to show her that her brother was dead. What a numbing thought, that she’d rather discover her brother was still dead instead of discovering he’s alive. That he’s a monster. “tired?” She was snapped up from her thoughts by Acacia’s voice. She looked over at her a smiled weakly.  
“Why would I be tired? It’s the middle of the day, I just started” Acacia pointed to the window. The sun was setting and it was nearly evening. Sinara blinked, looking at the elaborate construct of interconnected runes that she’d been working on. “Oh….I urm, might have gotten absorbed in my work…” She said sheepishly. Acacia smiled sweetly at her, coming over to sit next to Sinara.  
“Need to rest?” She said as she touched Sinara’s arm gently.  
“I, want to cast this tonight…I need to know…I can’t sleep on it Acacia.” Sinara said as she looked at her with pleading eyes. Acacia hugged her from the side.  
“I’m here for you.” She said as she shifted around on the bed to sit behind Sinara. She started to give her a gentle backrub, simply providing her with a comforting touch. Sinara sighed happily and continued her work, far more relaxed now.

It was late into the night that Sinara finished. Acacia had nodded off while leaning her head against Sinara. She exclaimed “aha! Perfect!” She said, waking Acacia, who snorted sharply. She rubbed her eyes.  
“Done?”  
“Yes! A perfect bio-signature tracking spell! I must say, this is very well done, even though it’s my first time doing such a ritual!”  
“Good. Now what?”  
“Oh right…” she looked over to Acacia, who looked simply adorable half-awake like that. She could not help but smile. “You are….so beautiful Acacia…” She said in a hushed tone. Sinara closed her book and tossed it onto a chair. She leaned over to Acacia and kissed her, gently at first. Acacia returned the kiss as Sinara embraced her. Her heart sang, and she felt so very right with things at the moment. Acacia lay back, gently running a fingertip along Sinara’s cheek. “Maybe this can wait until the morning? Let everyone else rest?” she said as she gazed into Acacia’s eyes. She simply smiled and nodded, reaching over to shut off the lamp lighting their room. The only source of illumination was the glowing runes floating above them. The two of them spent the night together.

The next morning, Sinara was gathered with everyone at the edge of the village. FeiLing was the last to come, walking up to everyone in her riding gear. She had a bag of supplies which she carefully loaded in the wagon. “S-so, are we r-ready to g-go?” She asked, looking at Sinara. Sinara nodded and looked over to the rest of the group.  
“Ok, so, um, I finished the ritual, and I dislike being dramatic, but I wanted to wait for everyone to be here before I initiated it.” She said as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Everyone stood their quietly, with FeiLing finally giving Sinara a nod of encouragement. After taking a deep breath, Sinara held her hands out, clasped together tightly. When she opened them, the intricate runic circle she’d been working on the past day sprang into being. Even in the bright light of the morning it still glowed brightly. FeiLing, YueJi and Vald watched with interest as Sinara tapped a few sigils, causing them to change colour. She then reached into a pouch and pulled out the medallion. Setting it in the center of the circle, it floated in the air unnaturally. After a few seconds, the entire framework pulsed brightly, and a thin, red string of magic slipped out from the medallion, it flickered a wavered. Sinara leaned forward eagerly, if it goes out that means her fears were unfounded. Her face fell though as the string zipped up into the air, and extended in a direction to the east. 

Sinara simply stared up at the glowing thread of magic, tears welling up in her eyes. “No….nonono….” She mumbled. Acacia was right there as Sinara sagged into her arms. FeiLing walked up to her.   
“S-so....w-what’s next?” She asked, Sinara could tell from her tone she was being as gentle as possible. Sinara felt like her legs were jelly, but she forced herself to stand. She wanted to cry, to hide away...to process this revelation. After a few moments of gathering her thoughts, Sinara finally looked up at her.   
“We...know where we have to go...and what needs doing.” She said in a detached tone. Acacia was still holding her though, and that made Sinara feel somewhat grounded. She looked over to her, Acacia’s eyes looked sympathetic and sad. 

Sinara sat watching as everyone made sure to pack the wagon up and get ready to head out. She had a brief conversation with FeiLing about what would possibly be in the direction indicated. She wasn’t sure what they were going to find, another village in peril, another...one of those constructs. Sinara didn’t want to know, even if she knew this was what had to be. Her hands were still shaking and her breathing was still ragged. Sinara looked down at her hands in her lap, she squeezed them into fists, feeling the weakness still there. She couldn’t believe it...he was alive!? How was he alive? He...survived the lab accident! But if he did, why didn’t anyone find him? Or why didn’t he let his family know? Him and Sinara were so close, she followed him everywhere, and looked up to him like he was a god. And now he’s….this monster, running around. Killing people!? Murdering them and defiling their bodies into twisted constructs. Sinara felt her stomach churn, she hadn’t eaten much in the past day, but she felt like she was going to lose it in a moment. Acacia must have noticed her distress, she came over to embrace Sinara. She let out a shuddering breath and hugged her back. “This can’t be real…Please tell me it’s a nightmare Acacia.” She whimpered. She felt Acacia’s grip tighten slightly.   
“It’s not. But...I’m here.” Even with such a minimal response, Sinara relaxed a little. She pulled away and looked up at her from her sitting position.   
“Thank you...so much Acacia.” she said, finally standing up and stretching. “Ok….so we know our goal, we might as well get going sooner rather than later.” Sinara said calmly. She took a deep breath and whipped her tail around a bit. “I...I can do this!” Acacia put her hand gently on Sinara’s lower back.   
“You can and we’re all here for you.” She nodded in determination as she the group headed out for the town gates. Sinara climbed onto Acacia’s mount, wrapping her arms around her waist. She was feeling much better from all the rest she got. And it was a nice comfort that Sinara was able to ride with her again. This suited Sinara just fine, as she didn’t really want to be alone in the back of the wagon again. She rested her head on Acacia’s upper back, mindful of her horns. She felt Acacia turn around in the saddle. She looked over her shoulder at Sinara. “It’s...going to be ok.” She said after a moment of hesitation. Sinara gave her a weak smile.   
“I know...thank you Acacia, I just...wanted so badly for it not to be true.” Acacia let out a long sigh, she snapped the reins of her mount and they headed off in a trot. For the first time since she’d left home, Sinara now dreaded what the trail would reveal next. 

 

-END-


End file.
